262 



THE GARDENERS MONTHLY 



[September, 



By this knowledge we keep and improve our 

 breeds of Jersey and Holstein cattle, our Ham- 

 bletonian and Mambrino horses and secure varia- 

 tions in them, such as we desire. Why then, do 

 we not more generally pursue the same course, 

 in raising new fruits and flowers? 



In the production of new roses, instead of 

 having exhausted the field, as a few writers have 

 incautiously observed, we have only just entered 

 it; the future possibilities open to the raiser of 

 new roses, is only dawning upon us. Lyons, 

 France, is the head centre, from whence most of 

 our cherished roses have come. Mons. Jean 

 Sisley, an eminent horticultural authority, says 

 that none of their Rosarians practice artificial 

 fertilization, thej'^ simply gather and sow the 

 seed, as they would sow a field with carrots, and 

 for the most part not even keeping the varieties 

 separate. Nature, unaided, is left to do all, and 

 everything is left to chance. 



By adopting the same practice Ave might just 

 as well produce many varieties of value, and I 

 hope there will be found among us many to 

 thus take their chance in the production of new 

 sorts. But why leave it all to chance? 



What more pleasing occupation can there be, 

 than, by hybridizing artificially, to engage in the 

 art of producing new varieties, aye, and not only 

 new varieties, but new types of roses now un- 

 known. 



" This is an art which does mend nature, 

 change it rather; but the art itself is nature." 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Trumpet Vines. — Confusion exists in 

 nurseries regarding the names of many things; 

 and it is well to take every occasion to get right. 

 Recently we had our attention called to three 

 trumpet vines, as Bignonia radicans, B. grandi- 

 flora, and B. grandiflora major; but the one 

 called B. grandiflora major was evidently a 

 form of the American, with larger and darker 

 flowers. Loudon describes B. radicans major as 

 having larger and lighter flowers. We suppose 

 this cannot be that, and propose for it the name 

 of Crimson Virginian Trumpet Vine. There is 

 not sufficient botanical distinction to make it 

 worth while to load it down with the Latin Big- 

 nonia, or properly Tecoma radicans sanguinea. 

 There is a good distinction between the Japan 

 (T. grandiflora) and the American not noted in 



books, in the calyx. That of the Japan is green 

 and thin, that of the American is brown and 

 thick as leather. We fancy there is no such 

 thing as Tecoma grandiflora " major." At least 

 we have never seen but one form of the Japan 

 species. 



SpiRjEA palmata. — This Japan species has 

 flowered this year in American gardens, and 

 proves to be an excellent border plant. It 

 flowers in Philadelphia in June, and earlier than 

 the American Spiraea lobata, which it resembles 

 in color and general appearance. It is much 

 dwarfer than that popular kind. 



American Trees in French Gardens. — The 

 Bulletin de la Societe Linneenne dc Normandie, 

 1876-77, just issued, has a biographical sketch of 

 Victor Leroy, botanical-horticulturist, of Lisieux, 

 from which some extremely interesting facts in 

 reference to American plants maj' be obtained. 

 He was an intimate friend of Michaux, and 

 received many of the seeds and plants which he 

 collected, — sharing with Cels and a few others 

 whatever the great American traveler found. 

 Victor Leroy died /th of July, 1842 ; so the bio- 

 graphy — by Amed6e Tissot — has been a long 

 time in appearing. Leroy, it appears, with a 

 younger brother sailed for San Domingo " in 

 1775 or 1778, being then twenty or twenty-three 

 years old." Among the many products of France 

 which they took to San Domingo is enumerated 

 plants of the "Bon Chretien" (Bartlett) Pear. 

 They came to own a few years later an extremely 

 valuable sugar plantation on one of the best 

 parts of the island. In 1791 the revolution on 

 the island met them, and the estate of the Le- 

 roys was ruined. They escaped as by a mii-acle. 

 Victor Leroy took refuge in Boston, and became 

 a professor of languages. Here, about 1803, he 

 became acquainted with Michaux, with whom 

 he corresponded to the day of his death. A few 

 years later Leroy retired to Baltimore, devoted 

 entirely to botany and horticulture, and making 

 occasional trips to the forests of Tennessee, Erie, 

 Ontario, the Alleghanies and elsewhere, sending 

 the seeds he collected to Paris, London, and 

 other places in Europe. Hcmade voyages with 

 plants to France in 1811, 1817, 1818, settling 

 finally in France in 1831. 



Among the remarkable statements is the one 

 that the ^sculus rubicunda, the red flowering 

 horse-chestnut, was one of his introductions. 

 The statement of the Bon Jardinier is quoted 

 that the plant was raised from a seed given to 



