62 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[February, 



was given to a leading nurseryman in exchange 

 for new or rare plants, as were all the other good 

 things he raised. The beautiful Chanthus puni- 

 ceus was raised by him from seed brought home 

 by a New Zealand missionary, and the Diplacus 

 aurantiacus, set down in botanical works as of 

 " origin unknown," was a cross of his between Di- 

 placus glutinosus and D. puniceus. 



He was among the first to start the present pop- 

 ular race of silver-leaved geraniums. There was a 

 loose growing variegated kind known as the 

 "Mangles" long in cultivation, and an old scarlet 

 known as the " Salmon." This last was the male 

 parent. From this cross came " St. Clare," which 

 was such a decided advance that it has scarcely 

 yet gone out of cultivation. This was given to or 

 exchanged with the same florist, we believe, to 

 whom " Springfield Rival " dahlia was given. 



Professor Meehan's title comes chiefly from his 

 position in the State Board of Agriculture of Penn- 

 sylvania, though he also holds that honorary title 

 in other bodies. His position in the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences (except as Senior Vice Presi- 

 dent) is simply Vice Director of the Botanical Sec- 

 tion, to all three of which he has been annually 

 elected for some years past. 



A Pleasant Note from a Young Gardener. 

 — A correspondent says : " I do wish that some of 

 our older plant and fruit growers would favor us 

 occasionally with notes of their experience. It 

 would prove of great benefit to all young garden- 

 ers, myself included, as I am not yet thirty, and 

 feel I have much to learn from persons older than 

 I am." 



Sir Hugh Allan. — The death of the principal 

 owner of the jVUan line of steamers reminds us 

 that horticulture, as well as business enterprise, 

 loses a zealous patron. His residence at Montreal 

 was one of the beauty spots of the Dominion, while 

 the more extensive grounds on Lake Memphrema- 

 gog furnished a specimen of excellent taste in 

 landscape gardening as adapted to wild lake 

 scenery. 



The Montreal suburban residence is apparently 

 on about ten acres of ground, and the building is 

 a model' of elegance and taste in the hands of 

 abundant wealth. The walled-in kitchen and fruit 

 garden abounds in the best kinds of fruits, and 

 along the most protected sides are extensive 

 ranges of glass, in which peaches, grapes and 

 other fruits are raised to great perfection. The 

 several planthouses are connected with the " ball 

 room " front of the dwelling-house, though they 



extend away a long distance from the dwelling, 

 and in the main appear as distinct structures. New 

 and rare plants are added as they appear, though 

 majestic specimens of the older and valuable spe- 

 cies have their honored places. Perhaps the point 

 of excellence which has made the most lasting im- 

 pression on the writer of this, who made a hasty 

 call in September last, was the perfect neatness 

 and cleanliness which pervaded every part of the 

 grounds. Not a dead leaf, rotten branch or weed 

 was to be seen anywhere. To our mind there is 

 nothing tests the ability of a gardener as this. 

 The general rule is for places like this to be laid 

 out, with work enough for a dozen men to keep in 

 order, but which the proprietor who never thought 

 of this at the outset, insists must be kept up by 

 half or less. Even when enough to do justice to 

 a large place is allowed, the gardener too often 

 falls into slovenly ways. By this -test we should 

 regard Mr. Dunbar, Sir H. Allan's gardener, as 

 among the head of the class. 



Joseph E. Johnson. — The Salt Lake papers 

 note the death of Joseph E. Johnson, who is well 

 known to horticulturists and botanists for the in- 

 terest he took in developing the floral 'knowledge 

 of Utah Territory. In compliment to his zeal and 

 industry many plants bear his name, as for instance 

 Dalea Johnsonii, being very beautiful flowers. 



He was a printer, and a man of indomitable 

 energy. He once went to a new settlement and 

 started a newspaper, setting up the type and 

 printing the whole paper himself, with only a tree 

 and wild nature for the printing office. St. 

 George's, in Utah, especially owes much to his 

 energy. 



At the time of his death he was engaged in push- 

 ing a new settlement in Arizona, and it is not long 

 since the writer of this had a letter from him speak- 

 ing in glowing terms of his prospects of success. 



The Regulative Action of Birds on Insect 

 OsciLL.\TiON. — By S. A. Forbes. In the " Bulletin 

 of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, 

 December, 1882, is a scientific paper of great prac- 

 tical utility in regard to the influence of birds in 

 keeping down the canker-worm. The paper is so 

 full of important details that it is impossible to give 

 a brief abstract of it, and those who are able to get 

 it will do well to read the whole. The facts have 

 a great bearing on many practical questions be- 

 sides the one which Mr. Forbes proposed for solu- 

 tion. The point we have often made, that there is 

 really a very narrow line between insectivorous and 

 frugivorous birds, is clearly brought out here. 



