148 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[May, 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Trees for Southern Kansas. — W. M,, La- 

 zette, Cowley Co., Kansas, writes : " I am about 

 to plant somewhat extensively of various trees. 

 I planted twenty-five Tulip trees, one year old 

 last spring, and they all lived through a very 

 trying summer, fall and winter. A friend of 

 mine has a number of the Magnolia grandiflora, 

 which have survived three Kansas seasons. I 

 have been to much trouble and expense already, 

 and regret to say that most of my experiments 

 have not been crowned with success ; but I keep 

 trying, I presume from force of habit. I have 

 failed invariably with coniferous evergreens. 

 Do you consider the Blue Gum hardy? I planted 

 last spring a quantity of seeds called here the 

 China Tree. Do you know it by that name, and 

 if so what is its botanic name ? I raised about 



three thousand, and they did remarkably well. 

 1 would be glad if you could furnish me a botanic 

 description of the mature tree." 



[It is almost impossible for one to tell what 

 will do well in the newer settled portions of our 

 country, except by actual experiment. It would, 

 I for instance, not have been safe for any one to 

 have recommended the Magnolia grandiflora or 

 the China tree for Cowley County, and it is a 

 valuable piece of knowledge that they will do 

 well there. The Tulip tree we have before had 

 the impression would do well. It is a capital 

 tree for the "Western plains from its deep root- 

 ; ing proclivities. The China tree is Melia Aze- 

 ; derach. It stands a good amount of cold in win- 

 ter, when it is able to grow vigorous and strong 

 by long continued summer heat. Still, as we 

 have said, it is news that it will do well in Kan- 

 sas.— Ed. G. M.] 



Natural History and Science. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



BLUE AND OTHER COLORED CLASS. 



^(Concluded from page 120.) 



Thus prepared, the six glasses were placed 

 side by side, in the light, in the temperate 

 house of the Museum. These experiments, to 

 all appearance so simple, proved a veritable 

 labor of Hercules, and without the assistance 

 of the skillful and intelligent superintendent of 

 the temperate house, M. Newman, I should 

 most assuredly have been unable single-handed 

 to carry out the experiment without changing 

 the conditions, as during the extremely hot 

 weather it was necessary to water the young 

 plants twice a day to keep them alive. Nor 

 was this all. It was necessary during the 

 course of the experiment to change the fluids 

 colored with aniline every four or five days, 

 according to the intensity of the sunlight. The 

 other colored fluids were more permanent, and 

 required changing less often. 



After carrying on these experiments most 

 carefully all through the summer, the following 

 results were obtained : The plant exposed to 

 the violet light exhibited a luxuriant growth, 

 its foliage was of a fine deep green, and very 



abundant as compared with that of the five 

 others. That was all. The plant had neither 

 blossomed nor fruited, clandestinely or other- 

 wise. 



The plant exposed to blue light had made an 

 ordinary growth — nothing exceptional. That, 

 too, was all. No fructification. 



The plant exposed to the green rays had 

 grown badly. It was ailing and nearly dead, 

 notwithstanding the intervention of the white 

 light. The disastrous effects of green light on 

 plant life had not been mitigated by the white 

 light from above. This perfectly accords with 

 M. Bert's observations. 



The plant exposed to yellow light had made 

 an average growth — rather under than over ; but 

 it had flowered and fruited as well, and very 

 rapidly. The fertilization was clandestine still. 



The plant exposed to orange light had grown 

 rather badly, and looked ailing. 



The plant exposed to the red light had grown 

 nearly, perhaps not quite as well as that ex- 

 posed to violet light. 



None of these plants, with the exception of 

 that exposed to yellow light, had fruited or 

 even flowered. 



Now, why this exceptional developement? 



