1885. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



245 



irrigating tubes substantially laid in cement. A 

 constant warfare is wpged upon insects, and each 

 plant has its particular borer, grub or bug. 



The heat in summer is intense, though tempered 

 by the sea-breeze, and the winter is, at times, as 

 rigorous as at Washington or Richmond. 



While visiting this interesting region of flowers, 

 I was often inwardly reminded of the vast and un- 

 developed field in our own sunny clime, and of 

 the possible future of commercial floriculture in the 

 tropical regions bordering upon our Mediterranean 

 Sea — the Gulf of Mexico. There the wild-wood 

 teems with the fragrant Jessamine and Magnolia ; 

 the shaded pastures are redolent of the timid 

 Violet ; the gardens load the air with the far- 

 wafted perfume of the Rose, the Orange Flower, 

 and all that is pleasant to the smell. But a blight 

 was upon the people, and all the beauties and 

 graces of nature were darkened by a pall of unre- 

 quited labor. It may not be a vain hope, I trust it 

 may be a prediction to be soon fulfilled, that when 

 that fair land shall be fully redeemed from the 

 lethargy, the paralysis of human slavery, when it 

 shall be everywhere fully open to the intelligence 

 and energy of the Northern mind, aided by the 

 free and self-reliant labor of the millions disen- 

 thralled, it shall then become the great flower-gar- 

 den, not only of America, but of the world. 



[The above is a lecture given by the well- 

 known Secretary of the Penn. Horticultural Society, 

 who has occupied that position for twenty-five 

 years, as well as been its Treasurer for thirteen. 



The lecture was illustrated by a varied collec- 

 tion of odoriferous plants contributed by the leading 

 florists of Philadelphia, yielding fragrance in petal, 

 calyx, stem, leaf, bark, wood or root. Also by 

 many essential oils distilled therefrom loaned by 

 Messrs. Wright & SuUivant, as well as fragrant 

 pomades from the South of France. An in- 

 teresting object was a stuffed pair of dwarf Musk 

 Deer and a pod of genuine Musk 25 years old. 

 At the close, each person present received a tiny 

 sample of Extract of Tea Rose, prepared by the 

 Lecturer, as a souvenir of the occasion. 



It was very highly appreciated by the intelligent 

 audience that had the pleasure of listening to it. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



COMMON NAMES OF NATIVE PLANTS. 



BY MRS. J. S. R. THOMSON. 



I sympathize deeply with our Florist friend, who 

 recently sent to our genial Editor to help him out, 

 the list of plants bearing such names as Lizzard's 

 Back, Dutchman's Breeches, &c. When I have 



found a particularly beautiful and desirable native 

 plant, I meet with just such names. Recently I 

 have turned my attention to our native Flora, 

 which has so much worthy of introduction into our 

 gardens ; and last winter, fall and spring I have 

 been tantalized almost to distraction when I ap- 

 pealed to the natives for names — local, I mean — I 

 never dare hope to gam the botanical cognomen. 

 1 found in one ramble a low-growing shrub (never 

 over 10 feet) with the most brilliant glowing blood- 

 red twigs, and found it so beautiful, denuded as it 

 was of foliage, that I collected a dozen specimens 

 and carried to my kitchen garden and planted; all 

 now growing beautifully. I asked several persons 

 its name, and one and all replied. Swamp Dog- 

 wood (Cornus), and I at once jumped to the con- 

 clusion, woman-like, (Who is it says, "a woman 

 arrives at her conclusions intuitively, a man by 

 reasoning ?") that it was Cornus sanguinea, until 

 our long-suffering, patient, forbearing Editor set 

 me right again. How many more stupid mis- 

 takes will I make, I wonder ? But he did not tell 

 me what it was. The plant is now in full flower, 

 has flat panicles (like Laurustinus) of very fra- 

 grant pure white flowers, four petaled, quite at- 

 tractive, and a profuse bloomer. If this had no 

 other attraction it would be desirable ; but its bril- 

 liant red twigs, glistening as if freshly varnished, 

 would add much to our lawns when stern winter 

 holds high carnival with us. I would much like 

 to have the real name. In gathering huge clus- 

 ters this A. M., I met a native, and asked him the 

 name. He replied. Possum-fruit — meaning an 

 opossum — a wild four-footed native here, which is 

 much relished by Southerners, dressed as a three- 

 months' old pig or shoat is, stuffed and roasted 

 whole, served with sugary-backed sweet potatoes. 

 Our beautiful South land is rich, bountifully so, in 

 native plants ; vines, tubers, bulbs and shrubbery 

 amongst them. Azaleas and Rhododendrons, that 

 fairly rival the exotic ones, in buff, white and rose; 

 Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina Yellow Jas- 

 mine), that puts to the blush the highly-lauded and 

 overrated Clematis; Yucca filamentosa (or pen- 

 dula) in June, with clusters of flowers, stalk full 4 

 feet high, with hundreds of its creamy white tulip- 

 shaped, fragrant blossoms loading the air with a 

 subtle perfume. No wonder Southerners are indo- 

 lent. Our flower-perfumed atmosphere is enough 

 to intoxicate one, as hashish does the Oriental. I 

 love to write of this beauteous South, where my 

 home is, and where my grave I hope will be. 



Spartansburg, South Carolina. 

 [The common name of this plant in the South 



