338 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[November, 



in the neighborhood ; though it was considered as I 

 a rare tree, and that it was time to plant corn 

 when the blossoms appeared. 



I have had no opportunity to examine the leaves 

 or fruit, both of which are desirable. 



Other popular names are June Berry, Wild Pear 

 tree and Shad-flower. 



Michaux says that " in the western country it is 

 found in the midst of the forest among the oaks, 

 the walnuts, the maples, etc. Here, also, it 

 reaches its greatest height, which does not exceed 

 thirty-five or forty feet, with a diameter of ten or 

 twelve inches." The fruit is small, roundish, or 

 pear-shaped, and is said by Torrey to be of "the 

 size of a large whortleberry, red until fully ripe, 

 when it becomes rather dark purple, sweet and 

 palatable." It is much sought after by birds, and 

 though Michaux found it in the markets at Pitts- 

 burg, and Dr. Darlington thought it might be 

 much improved by cultivation, yet it remains 

 "good fruit for birds," and doubtless that is all. 



I am indebted to Dr. G. P. Davis for a fine 

 photograph of this magnificent tree. 



Hartford, Conn. 



[The above was originally contributed to a 

 Hartford paper, but has been sent to us by the 

 author. We are sure it will be acceptable to the 

 many lovers of fine trees among our readers. We 

 believe a portion of a trunk very nearly as large 

 as this was brought to the attention of the writer 

 by Dr. Brewer at the American Centennial, which 

 was also obtained from some place in the East. 



In this part of the world the popular name in 

 most common use is " Indian cherry." In En- 

 glish gardens it goes as the " Snowy Mespilus." 

 A dwarf form in the West bears very superior 

 fruit, well worthy of cultivation, and in Oregon is 

 a marked variety or closely allied species that the 

 writer in his " tramps " used to gather and eat by 

 the handful, under the impression that it was the 

 best of the wild fruits of that region.— Ed. G. M.] 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Salix fragilis for Tanning.— A subscriber 

 at Lewistown desires to know how he may get 

 from Russia a stock of this willow which he has 

 read of in the Western papers, as being introduced 

 into that section from Russia for tanning purposes. 



We have seen no accounts of any such intro- 

 duction in the West, nor would there be any oc- 

 casion for such a direct introduction, for it has 

 been introduced a hundred years ago, and is in 



abundance everywhere. It is the leading willow 

 in the East grown for basket making, and our 

 correspondent could no doubt find lots of it along 

 the Juniata River, near his own home. It ought 

 to be also very common in the West, for a few 

 years ago when the willow fence craze went like a 

 prairie fire over the West, despite the caution of 

 this magazine, tons of cuttings — carloads on car- 

 loads— of this and its neighbor, the White willow, 

 were sent to that region ; and there ought to be 

 enough plants left Ungering to furnish cheap 

 cuttings, without investing a small fortune in 

 sending to Russia for them. 



Perhaps there may be such a craze for the Red 

 willow as our correspondent unknown to us, for, 

 judging by Russian Mulberry, and Russian other 

 things which have had a run at high figures in the 

 West, there is room for little speculations of this sort. 



Growth of Trees at Rahway, N. J. — Facts 

 concerning the growth of trees in America are 

 much needed for intelligent guidance in our 

 forestry operations. The following figures are 

 made by Mr. W. E. Clark, civil engineer, from 

 trees growing on Mr. Jacob R. Shotwell's property 

 at Rahway, New Jersey, planted in 1857 : 



" Norway Spruce, 47 feet high, 2.2 feet diam- 

 eter, 38 feet spread of limbs. Silver Maple, 69 

 feet high, 2.45 feet diameter, 49 feet and 43 feet 

 spread of limbs. Sugar Maple, 61 feet high, 2.2 

 feet diameter, 60 feet spread of limbs. Horse 

 Chestnut, 40.3 feet high, 1.3 feet diameter, 24 feet 

 spread of limbs." 



Changeof Climate. — "M. R.," Honesdale.Pa.: 

 "In your last you say, ' Now climates must of ne- 

 cessity change.' Why 'of necessity?' I find no 

 statement in treatises on the physical relations of 

 the earth. I am interested very much in this 

 matter, as I suppose you refer to the destruction 

 of our forests." 



[Forests were not in the Editorial mind. It is 

 too wide a topic to enter on here; we had no 

 thought the statement would be disputed. If, 

 however, our correspondent will remember that 

 water runs down hill, and that sand, stones, and 

 earth go down with it, he may understand that 

 it is only a question of time when an "everlasting" 

 hill shall be on a level with the ocean. The delta 

 at the mouth of the Mississippi, is indeed but earth 

 much of which no doubt once formed the highest 

 peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Then he will 

 have to remember that winds, currents, snows, 

 and other local phenomena in meteorology, depend 

 on the heights of mountains, and, just as they 



