I88S.1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



37S 



taste to have the colors harmonize in arranging 

 such beds, be the style either the ribbon, carpet 

 or mixed type. Ladies, as a general thing, excel 

 in this kind of work. 



In Baltimore, where the taste for floriculture of 

 late years has made rapid strides, credit is due to 

 the Feasts, the Pentlands and the Hallidays for 

 the aid they have rendered, while we think that 

 the Maryland Horticultural Society, by its exhibi- 

 tions, has exercised a more powerful influence 

 than any other agent in bringing about the present 

 pleasing state of things. Hundreds of florists have 

 of very recent years sprung up in the city and its 

 suburbs, yet these cannot supply all the demands 

 for bridal parties, funerals, public feasts and pri- 

 vate parties, so that quantities have to be procured 

 from the northern establishments. 



Then look at our public parks and squares in 

 the city. What kind of aspect do they now present 

 during the summer months from what they were a 

 few years ago? They are found bright and beau- 

 tiful, fit emblems of an advanced state of civiliza- 

 tion. 



About twenty years ago, one of the commis- 

 sioners of the squares flanking the Washington 

 monument asked me what ought to be done to 

 improve those grass plats. I replied, remove the 

 unsightly railings, and adorn the surface with 

 groups of shrubs and beds of flowers. His 

 answer was : "OhI that would never do, as people 

 would pull them up root and branch." My an- 

 swer to this was, only give the thing a fair trial, 

 and that it was his duty as a progressive man to 

 educate and refine public taste. 



In the same space of time that floriculture has 

 advanced so rapidly pomologists have not been 

 idle. The ancient list'of native grape vines, which 

 embraced little more than the Catawba, Isabella 

 and Lenoir, is now supplemented by new and 

 superior kinds that would stand counting by the 

 scores. From many, wines are made equal in ! 

 bouquet to any foreign brand, thanks to the late j 

 N Longworth, of Cincinnati, as the forerunner in 

 this laudable enterprise. 



The State of Ohio gave us a J. P. Kilkland, i 

 who raised some of the finest cherries now under 

 cultivation. 



Of pears numerous sorts have been introduced 

 from abroad, but among these, if we except the j 

 Bartlett, it will be found that the finest and most 

 profitable sorts are of native origin, having sprung 

 up in hedge rows and waste places, to which have I 

 been added some fine sorts by Mr. Clapp and Mr. 

 Dana. We do not venture to say much about the 

 notorious kind known as Kieffer; the last we ate 

 were not very mellow, and the tree is not proof j 

 against blight as reported. Pears do not bring 

 such high prices as they used to do, but that i 

 wholesome and desirable fruit, the apple, still re- 

 ceives valuable additions to its number of kinds, 

 and the quantity grown is immense. The quality 

 of such as are grown in the Middle and Northern 

 States does not compare well with those grown in 

 the Western States in size and smoothness of skin, 

 so that in the market the growers in the State of 

 New York will scarcely be able to hold their own. 

 In the State of Delaware, and lands bordering 



both shores of the Chesapeake Bay, there are car 

 loads of peaches grown now for bushels that were 

 raised fifty years ago, and the planting of new 

 orchards still goes on, and will continue. Small 

 fruits, as raspberries, blackberries, currants and 

 strawberries, have been greatly augmented in 

 kinds as well as in quality. Every year brings 

 forth a host of new strawberries, some of them 

 good in fact, while most are represented as better 

 than the best, particularly should they be brought 

 to your notice by a traveling tree charlatan. 



By the foregoing meagre statement it will be 

 found that the country has arrived at a high state 

 of progress in horticulture, much of which is due 

 to the writings of the Downings, Wilder, Barry, 

 Meehan and many other noted men, combined 

 with the work of the American Pomological 

 Society; not forgetting the aid afforded by de- 

 scriptive and illustrated catalogues spread broad- 

 cast over the length and breadth of the land by 

 the almost innumerable nurserymen and florists 

 found in every section of our diversified and fertile 

 country. 



[The above interesting sketch appeared recently 

 in the American Farmer, of Baltimore. Mr. Brack- 

 enridge's modesty has not permitted him to include 

 his own labors — which have by no means been 

 meagre — with those of his colleagues. 



The Yellow Verbena was introduced by the 

 writer of this in 1855. The color, however, was 

 too "brassy" to be popular. There was just 

 enough "yellow" in the tint to save the reputation 

 of one who called it yellow, and that was all. — 

 Ed. G. M.] __ 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Fr.'vnk j. Scott (see Frontispiece). — The 

 frontispiece to our Volume for 1885, represents 

 the Author of " Suburban Home Grounds," one 

 of those standard works on American Landscape 

 Gardening, which has done honor to our country 

 and for which lovers of American Gardening will 

 ever feel grateful. This beautiful book was issued 

 by D. Appleton & Co. in 1S69, in a large octavo 

 of 600 pages, and reached three editions. Why it 

 has been allowed to get " out of print " since, is 

 one of the mysteries no one has yet explained. 

 The preparation of that work commenced as a 

 labor of love. The author went personally over 

 every part of the United States where he could 

 hear of a fine tree, a fine garden, or fine garden 

 architecture, and embodied the work of his pen 

 and pencil in this superb book. 



Frank J. Scott was born in Columbia, South 



Carolina, 1828, but his parents emigrated to Ohio 



! in 1830, and the son was reared on the Maumee, at 



I Perrysburg, Maumee and Toledo, where he was 



