26 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[January, 



we call the Balsam Fir in New England yards, 

 but more richly endowed with beauty of shape 

 and color. . . It looks as if a delicate silver 

 powder had been strewn over its deep green 

 needles, or rather as if a light white frost had 

 fallen all upon and enshrouded it ; and you can- 

 not help wondering why the breezes do. not 

 shake the powder off, or the sun dissipate the 

 frost, so ever present is the one illusion or the 

 other. A soft Avhite, blue-green combination.' " 

 [The description suits Abies Menziesii, and A. 

 Engelmannii. As the latter is not common in 

 those parts of the Eocky Mountains frequented 

 by " well-known writers," the doctrine of chances 

 will make the tree Abies Menziesii. It is to be 

 hoped that the time will come when a fair 

 knowledge of botany, so as to be able at least to 

 write intelligently, will be regarded as part of the 

 education of "well-known writers." As it is, 

 they know so little of what they describe, as to 



make it a waste of time to puzzle out their mean- 

 ing. Allies Menziesii, if this is the " most beau- 

 tiful evergreen of America" referred to, has been 

 under cultivation in most leading American nur- 

 series for a quarter of a century, and is generally 

 a mean and miserable looking thing. Now and 

 then we have seen a fair specimen, and if some 

 care was taken in finding out what particular 

 soil and situation just suited it, it might do its wild 

 character, as once in a while seen, some credit. 

 It seems also in our Eastern nurseries to be an 

 especial favorite of the red spider, and this is 

 against its chances of securing admiration. The 

 writer of this paragraph grew one once to the 

 height of 20 feet, which kept itself very beautiful. 

 It grew on bottom land, which seemed to suit it 

 very well, but one extra wet spring was too much 

 for it in that situation, and it died. It seems to 

 want some rather difficult and exact conditions 

 to do well.— Ed. G. M.l 



.LITERATURE, ?1rAVELS & PERSONAL MOTES. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



POISONING BY RHUS. 



BY H. C. BEARDSLEE, PAINESVII.LE, OHIO. 



I notice, in Gardener's Monthhi for December, 

 a communication in regard to the poison of rhus. 

 I have sxifTered many times from the poison of Rhus 

 toxicodendron (L.) and Rhus venenata, (D. C.) 

 In New England there were many popular reme- 

 dies for this poison. Among these were a strong 

 infusion of white ash bark Fraxinus Americana 

 (L.), of sweet fern Comptonia, and of the com- 

 mon everlasting Gnaphalium polvcephalum. 

 (Micl ) 



The most speedily effective remedy I know, is 

 a solution of the bichloride of mercury — corro- 

 sive sublimate — used as a wash. The only effec- 

 tive vegetable remedy I have ever seen used, is a 

 cold infusion of the roots of Nabalus albus (Hook.) 

 var. serpentaria, N. altissimus (Hook.) and N. fra- 

 seri, (D. C.,) all of which have similar properties. 



The tuberous roots should be bruised and in- 

 fused in cold water — and this infusion should be 

 used as a drink — compresses wet with it should 

 be applied to the affected part and kept wet. It 

 is really a safe and effective remedy. 



Corrosive sublimate is a very active, and per- 

 haps, if used strong, not always a safe applica- 

 tion. 



GARDENERS AT GALVESTON. 



Gardeners, with the view of getting employ- 

 ment at their trade, should not come to Galves- 

 ton or, indeed, to Texas, unless pre-engaged, as 

 no one employs professional men of their class — 

 a negro or common laborer does all the work 

 necessary. I would not advise those who would 

 wish to start in business for themselves, however, 

 to stay away, but merely remind them that every- 

 thing is at the highest figure on this island. 

 Land near the city is worth front; $300 to 

 $1000 an acre, and two miles out of the city, 

 along the island, from $50 to $200. Unless it is 

 old cultivated land it is poor and hungry, requir- 

 ing much manure, labor, and wind-screens. 

 There is no mode of transit on the island but 

 by wagons, unless the goods are being shipped 

 out of the island, when the railroad affords the 

 desired facilities. Galveston itself is a good 

 market for vegetables. There is a good road 



