April 3. 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



471 



prove financially successful, then in the making of our 

 schedules, in the preliminary exploiting and advertising, 

 and in the management generally, the public caprice 

 must be taken into consideration and first place given 

 to the providing of meritorious novelty — not alone the 

 novelty which inspires the expert grower but that which 

 will appeal irresistibly to the people who draw their 

 wallets at the ticket ofBce. Then let the revival proceed. 



Rose My Maryland and Its Re- 

 quirements 



Dear Editor: — 



I have noted with considerable interest what has been 

 said in various horticultural papers in reference to the 

 new rose, My Maryland. Most of the writers attribute 

 the failure of some growers to lack of heat. This, I 

 think, is correct, and applies especially in the fall 

 months when a heavy crop has been cut, and perhaps 

 cut rather far back in order to get long stems. 



Some growers may have been deceived by the action 

 of the rose itself during the hot months in making such 

 a free and wonderful growth, but this in itself is some 

 proof that it enjoyed heat. I note that most writers rec- 

 ommend a temperature of 62 to 65 degrees. I have 

 grown it on a bench rather successfully at 60 degrees 

 and I liave seen it growing at Mr. Cook's for three years 

 on the bench also, at about the same temperature, and at 

 all times doing well. It may of course demand a some- 

 what higher temperature in the solid bed, and it may do 

 even better than I have seen it, at a higher temperature 

 on the bench. At any rate I see no reason why any one 

 should fail with the rose if they keep it at a somewhat 

 high temperature and are mindful of the fact that it is a 

 gross feeder. 



Baltimore, Md. 



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The Formosa Lily 



Editor Horticulture: 



Dear Sir :— Noticing the article written by Mr. Am- 

 brose Seeker, I beg to differ from liim as to the results 

 obtained in forcing Lilium Formosa, as they have been 

 giving me excellent results. I had only 6-8 size bulbs 

 and have run as high as seven flowers to the stalk. I 

 potted mine in 4-inch pots and put under carnation 

 bench until December, then planted out in benches 

 where chrysanthemums had been grown previously, with 

 temperature at night 50-55 degrees and days 70 de- 

 grees, until buds were well formed, then I ran the tem- 

 perature up to 80 degrees in day time. As to their not 

 being true I must say that Formosas were not offered 

 to me as a special sort. That there has been a lot of 

 substituting done is ■ndthout a doubt. I have seen two 

 lots in two different places which were bought for L. 

 Formosa; well, they were simply trash. 



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The Concolor or Silver Fir of the 

 Rockies 



The finest tree on the Ilunnewell estate at Wellesley, 

 Mass., was of this kind when I last visited the place. 

 The Tenney estate at Methuen has some noble specimens. 

 T. C. Thurlow has some of exquisite beauty. The pun- 

 gens, though so resplendent while young gets ragged at 

 25 and has to be discarded, but the concolor keeps right 

 on, growing more beautiful with age. Take one of the 

 silver type out in the open where it can develop and 

 there is nothing to surpass it. There is another remark- 

 able thing about it ; though growing so far from the sea, 

 when moved east it will endure the ocean spray as well 

 as any evergreen we have. 



Go with me into their own habitat. We find them in 

 the most brilliant dress at an altitude of 10,000 feet 

 above sea level. Here is a grove of them in gala attire. 

 Some are light green, others are of a deeper color. The 

 last year's growth is of sapphire, the new growth is em- 

 erald, both with silver tinting; the under side of the 

 needle is ermine. So there are several shadings on the 

 same tree. One tree has large purple cones; another 

 beside it has those of pale green. These cones are about 

 the size of an ear of early sweet corn. As they mature 

 the color deepens, and from them there exudes a gum 

 clear as crystal. 



Now stand back and let the sun and gentle breeze 

 put all this beauty on exhibition. The older and newer 

 growth show marked variations. The cones are in har- 

 monious contrast with the foliage, while the clear gum 

 is flashing like diamonds. Take it all in all there is 

 beauty enough to lure one across a continent. 



As with the pungens there is a marked individuality 

 in them. Here, for instance, stands one in the open 

 where it has a chance to develop. Could it be trans- 

 ferred in all its native splendor to the grounds of an 

 eastern millionaire it would be beyond price. It is 

 shapely and cone-like in form — the body straight as an 

 arrow. It is of tliat rich and varied glauca or silvery 

 coloring. It flashes and shimmers in its radiance. Yes, 

 it is the most charming tree on earth, increasing in 

 beauty till it is a century old. It is one of the best for 

 the East, and in the West I have known it to endure a 

 succession of dry years in the sod out on the open 

 prairie. 



In Minnesota and the Dakotas it is very beautiful, 

 but owing to the seed being gathered in the foot-hills it 

 is somewhat tender. This year, however, a very heavy 

 freeze caught all the foot-hills seed and there was not a 

 cone on the trees. Going higher up, where they were 

 growing among the pungens and Engelman spruce, they 

 seeded abundantly and one man secured about 1,000 

 pounds. 



These high altitudes correspond with tlie north. You 

 go up the mountain from the temperate zone to the arc- 

 tic circle. In the foot-hills the oak is of fair size; as 

 you ascend it is S2ualler and smaller, till it is the size of 

 the currant bush. Then above timber line there is noth- 

 ing: you are in the Arctic zone. So seed from the upper 

 belt will be hardy all over the north and in Manitoba. 

 This upper belt nlso has trees of exquisite beauty. 



Frecport, L. I. 



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