January 23, 1909 



horticulture: 



99 



to proilict that in a quarter of a century, the value oi! 

 tlie apple crop of the northwest would exceed the com- 

 bined value of the wheat, ore and timber production. 

 I'crliaps some of our readers may look upon tliis topic as 

 rather outside the legitimate sphere of Houticulture, 

 but it is well to remember that the history of horticul- 

 ture shows that in all cases the useful came before the 

 beautiful. The tree valued first for its timber and fruit, 

 soon becomes appieciatcd foi- its shade and its beauty, 

 and the gai'don devoted to ornamental plants and flowers 

 follows close upon that inli'iided for food production 

 only. So we propose to be on friendly terms with the 

 apple men. 



The fact of enliglilened, reputable business 

 Policy ni^.n feeling themselves coerced into the 

 versus payment of considerable suras of money 

 principle which Ihcy have neither legal nor moral 

 obligalioii to pay — and that to the United 

 States government — seems incomprehensible. Nevertlie- 

 less, un-American as it may seem, not a few of our 

 leading importers of seeds and bulbs have felt them- 

 selves so coerced ; believing that it was good policy to 

 forestall the ovei"-zealous appraiser by voluntarily 

 adding sums in excess of the actual foreign prices to 

 their import invoices and paying additional duty tliere- 

 on. This they have done to facilitate delivery of the 

 goods and also to avoid the possibility of any addition 

 by the appraiser to meet his notions of foreign market 

 values and which might be large enough to involve a 

 penalty. The decision of the Board of United States 

 General Appraisers sustaining in full the appeal of E. & 

 J. Farquliar & Co. of Boston against such advances and 

 penalty — an account of whicli appears elsewhere in this 

 issue — will do much to clear tlie situation. In this in- 

 stance a large importation of bulbs was advanced in 

 value and held by the appraiser for over four weeks and 

 was not released until the importing firm had called 

 the attention of the Treasury Department to their griev- 

 ance. The local oflieials leai'ning from the importers of 

 their com])laint to AVashington lost no time in clearing 

 the goods. Then followed a hearing in Boston at which 

 the importers' appeal was sustained in part; a further 

 appeal and subsequent heai'ing in New York at which 

 the importers were fully uphehl. Reflect for a moment 

 on the trouble and expense the importers have been put 

 to in obtaining vindication in this instance and then 

 note that there is no redress against the loss due to the 

 action of the incompetent appraiser who first examines 

 the goods and as in this case wrongfully causes the im- 

 porter to bear it. We have known of several recent in- 

 stances where live plants have been held ten and eleven 

 days after entry was made and dut_y paid. In one lot 

 there was an almost total loss, yet here again the im- 

 porter was the victim of the delinquency of the exam- 

 iner, and without redress. Messrs. Farquhars' persistent 

 fight for prompt service and against the imposition of 

 unfair charges will, we believe have a most salutary 

 effect and should stimulate importers in other cities to 

 demand from the government prompt and efficient 

 service. Horticultural importations are now of suf- 

 ficient magnitude to fully justify importers in demand- 

 ing on the part of the govei'iiment the employment of 

 examiners who have practical knowledge of the goods 

 they pass upon — even if they may not be broad enough 

 in experience to know that the Hollander will never be 

 found guilty of selling anything at less than its market 

 value. 



European Horticulture 



AXIlltOI'OClON rORMOSUS 



I'rctly, elegant, decorative grasses are always accept- 

 able in the formation of plant groups in the flower 

 garden and as solitary specimens on the lawn; and the 

 subject of this note is one of these. It will reach a 

 height of 3 1-2 feet to 6 feet; the leafage is narrow, 

 1-3 to 1-3 an inch, slender and readily moved with the 

 least breath of wind. The plant is of vigorous growth 

 and requires the simplest cultivation. 



The life of tlie plant extends over several years, but it 

 is better treated as an annual. Seeds can now be 

 obtained from most of the larger seedhouses, and sow- 

 ings should be made, as a rule at the end of January 

 and throughout February, and early in March. A 

 warmth of 65 degree Fahr. hastens the vegetation of the 

 seeds; usually the germ becomes visible in 5 to 6 days. 

 When the plants are 1 1-2 to 3 inches high they should 

 be pricked off into pans, and placed on a warm bed, and 

 in a iiionfh Ihcy must be potted, and kept in a wami 

 frami', ratlicr close at the first, air being afforded daily 

 in fine weather. If to be planted out in May and June 

 the plants should bo repotted into 4 1-3 inch pots and 

 kept for a time in warmth till established in the new 

 soil, accustoming the plants gradually to the open air 

 when well rooted. 



PRIMULA MALACOIDES i 



This promising introduction of Mr. BuUey's by means 

 of seeds was sent to him by his collector, Mr. George 

 Forrest, from Yunnan. In Yunnan the plant is sparsely 

 distributed, and is only found in the Tali valley, where 

 Father Delavay discovered it and sent material to Paris. 

 The plant was described by Franchet in 1886. Forrest 

 found the plant in large numbers in the Tali valley, in 

 moist sunny places. Primula malacoides belongs to 

 Fi'anclict's section monocai-picae of the genus. To this 

 section belong three other Chinese species: P. Forbesi, 

 P. androsacea, both in cultivation; this last-named like- 

 wise introduced by Forrest; and P. gemmifera, not yet 

 introduced to garden.a. Franchet adopted the name 

 mahicoides from the similarity of the leaves to those of 

 iModium malacoides. In general P. malacoides reminds 

 one of 1'. Foi'bcsi, but the novelty is larger, and con- 

 .'iidcridily freer in flowering which on the other hand 

 contradicts its aflfinity to the monocarpicae section. P. 

 malacoides bears seed abundantly and is easy to increase 

 by division. 



For open air cultivation this appiireiilly hardy 

 primula has scarcely any importance, but as a pot plant 

 for decorative purposes it may be vahiable, especially by 

 reason of its long season of flowering. The pale red or 

 lilac red color of the blooms and the flower-stalks of a 

 nearly gray tint are not sufficiently taking for the taste 

 of today; but lime and cultivation will alter these prop- 

 erties. As P. malacoides can be grown with but little 

 trouble and is easy of propagation, it will probably 

 become a general favorite. 



