1882.1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



189 



The Indian word " assin " means stone. In 

 combining it with another word, the final n 

 could scarcely be left otf, as it is part of the 

 root. 



Watson's Nurseries, Brenham, Texas.— It is 

 always a good sign when a man i^ well spoken 

 of by his neighbors. The Brenham Independent 

 has a good word for these nurseries. The new 

 grounds were waste prairie thirteen years ago. 

 Two hundred acres are now under trees. This 

 includes a Peach orchard of fifty acres, and an 

 orchard of twelve hundred Pears. How favor- 

 able the site is for nursery trees may be inferred 

 from the fact that the Almond fruits regularly, 

 the Japan Persimmon succeeds, and a plant of 

 Chinese Tea has been there uninjured and grow- 

 ing frefely for seventeen years. 



Western Art. — So many catalogues are beau- 

 tiful, it is diflScult to signal one more than an- 

 other for any special excellence. But a rare 

 picture of beauty is on the back page of Rich- 

 ardson's Catalogue of Roses, designed and exe- 

 cuted, as it seems, by a Louisville artist. The 

 vine, which is made to climb over the balcony, 

 is so perfectly drawn, that any one can distin- 

 guish it as the beautiful Kentucky plant, Ampe- 

 lopais bipinnata. By the way, we call Ampelop- 

 sis Virginica, Virginia creeper, and the people 

 have already named Ampelopsis Veitchii, Japan 

 creeper, — it would not be surprising if Ampelop- 

 sis bipinnata should become a ''Kentucky 

 creeper." It is a very beautiful vine, and de- 

 serves to be more generally grown. It does not 

 adhere to the wall by suckers, as the other two 

 do, but has tendrils like a grapevine. 



The Redwood. — The road wound up from the 

 green meadows through a park-like region, 

 shaded in many places by groups of Redwood, 

 or Sequoia sempervirens, a very elegant Conifer, 

 peculiar to the coast range of California. A 

 further interest attaches to it from the fact that 

 this name was given to it before the discovery 

 of the so called Wellingtonia, which was properly 

 named Sequoia gigantea by the botanis^ts, on 

 account of its near resemblance to the S. sem- 

 pervirens. The original name was given in 

 honor of a peculiarly intelligent half-bred Chero- 

 kee Indian, who was'called Sequoyah ; he had, 

 among other things, devised something of an 

 alphabet and written language for his tribe, and 

 was therefore called by an American punster 

 " the best red (read) man out." Such is the 



origin of the received scientific name of the big 

 trees, as they are universally called in their own 

 country; and we can hardly complain if the 

 Americans are unwilling to designate one of the 

 greatest of their own national wonders by the 

 name of a British hero. — "Over the Sea and Far 

 Away," by T. W. Hinchliff, M.A., F.R.G.S. 



Spinach. — This vegetable, which belongs to 

 the same family as the beet (Chenopodiaceai), 

 appears to have been unknown to the ancients, 

 unless, as some authors think, it might be the 

 Chrysolacanon of Dioscorides or the Blitum of 

 the Romans; but the properties described as be- 

 longing to these plants, make it very uncertain 

 what species is really intended, as several of this 

 order of plants have been, and are still, used for 

 cooking and salads. Spain is supposed to be 

 the first European country into which Spinach 

 was introduced. Miller, in his "Gardener's Dic- 

 tionary," says: " Perhaps the Spaniards had this 

 plant from the Saracens; but by some it is con- 

 sidered to be indigenous to Spain, as many of 

 the old botanists— such, for example, as Bock — 

 call it Olus Hispanicum. Ruellius and others 

 name it Atriplex Hispaniensis." 



Insects Injurious to Forest and Shade Trees. 

 —By A. S. Packard, Jr., Bulletin No. 7 of the 

 United States Entomological Commission, issued 

 by the Department of the Interior. 



This is another of the admirable series which 

 do so much credit to the United States Govern- 

 ment, and is of so much scientific value to prac- 

 tical culturists. Almost all the familiar insect 

 troubles are exposed— some few overlooked. 

 The ash-borer is one of these, though it is not 

 the troublesome creature other insects are. 



Peach Culture. — By James Alexander Fulton. 

 New York : Orange Judd Company. New Edi- 

 tion. 



The first edition appeared but a few years 

 ago, and that a new one should be so soon called 

 for is in itself a tribute to the value of the work. 

 It is not a re-issue of stereotype plates, but the 

 chapters have been re-written, and the results of 

 the past year's experiences incorporated. Re- 

 siding, as the author does, in the great Delaware 

 Peach region, he is well situated to give, from 

 practical experience and observation, all that is . 

 known about this great pomological industry in 

 that part of the world. It is, therefore, a practi- 

 cal work of great value. Where the author in- 

 dulges in opinion merely, he of course only 



