2o6 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[July. 



who attempts to force a way through its strong 

 opposing front. 



Without losing sight of it as a hedge plant, I beg 

 for a moment to call attention to its merits as an 

 ornamental tree, as all who are entitled to be 

 judges of sylvan beauty admit it is eminently so. 

 And nothing native, or foreign, when planted in 

 the shrubbery, lawn or pleasure grounds, is better 

 calculated to please than is the comely little crab 

 tree. 



Well, as I at first began to praise it as a proper 

 candidate for the hedgerow, knowing from experi- 

 ence it is a good subject for the shears, having seen 

 it made positively impenetrable from frequent clip- 

 ping, I must in conclusion say I consider it a most 

 desirable plant for that purpose. And it can be as 

 readily raised in vast quantities from seed as are 

 hawthorns or apple trees ; and as it makes a rapid 

 growth when young, will soon form a strong, dense 

 and beautiful hedge, if proper pains are taken with 

 it. And I think I hinted at the delicious perfume 

 of its rich, rosy, pink blossoms, which is not ex- 

 celled by "Afric's spicy gales," or the exquisite 

 fragrance of "the Gardens of Gul," or even the 

 sweet odors of " Araby the blessed." 



POISONS AS INSECT REMEDIES IN 

 VEGETABLES. 



BY T. BENNETT, TRENTON, N. J. 



In the April number of the Monthly, I notice a 

 gentleman from Connecticut recommends helle- 

 bore as a certain remedy for the destruction of the 

 caterpillar or slug on any plant ; and seems to 

 imply also that it is a good way to get rid of the 

 cabbage worm or caterpillar, I have no doubt that 

 his statement is true, but he does not tell us that 

 the hellebore is poisonous. It may do very well 

 to apply such remedies to rose bushes, or other 

 plants not eatable, but I don't believe in applying 

 deadly poisons to cabbage. It seems good 

 enough to put Paris green on potatoes, but then it 

 is the tuber that is eaten, and not the vine. If the 

 vine was the part made use of it would be very 

 different. I wish to say that I have been a long 

 time in possession of a remedy for getting rid of 

 these pests on cabbages without endangering hu- 

 man hfe ; but as I think the matter is now of some 

 importance, I will hold it until I see what I can 

 make out of it before I give it away. I would 

 have no objection to go in with some man of means 

 and enterprise, who would be able to plant exten- 

 sively, when I have no doubt the thing would be 

 very profitable to both parties. 



FRUIT CULTURE IN SOUTHERN 

 CALIFORNIA. 



BY GEO. H. PARSONS, COLORADO SPRINGS, COL. 



Physical Features. — The most strongly marked 

 feature in the physical geography of the State of 

 California are the chains of mountains that run 

 parallel with the coast for hundreds of miles. 

 There are two of these great chains, one rising ab- 

 ruptly almost from the sea line, like a long wall, 

 with only here and there a shallow coast valley, as 

 at Santa Cruz. This is known as the Coast 

 Range. The other is the great uplifted crest of the 

 Sierra Nevada, which through the whole length of 

 the State, in one unbroken chain, forms the east- 

 ern horizon of the coast. This range, with its 

 great altitude, its heavy snows, and its immense 

 condensing power, is the source of all the import- 

 ant rivers of California. 



These two ranges of mountains divide the lands 

 of the State into two classes of widely differing cli- 

 matic features. The humid coast valleys, lying 

 outside of the Coast Range, facing the ocean, and 

 marked by a comparatively great precipitation of 

 moisture and slight evaporation, and the more arid 

 interior valleys, lying between the two ranges and 

 characterized by just the reverse, a light rainfall 

 and an excessive evaporation. 



The winter rain-current, which is a southwesterly 

 wind blowing in from the sea, has to cross this 

 Coast Range before it can reach and water the in- 

 terior valleys. According to a well-known law, it 

 parts with much of its moisture and, climbing the 

 elevation, gives a comparatively damp and foggy 

 climate on the ocean face of the range. After 

 crossing the range the rain-current, thus deprived 

 of a large portion of its moisture, passes on to give 

 a lighter rainfall upon the level plains of the inte- 

 rior, until it reaches the tall line of the Sierra, where 

 with the cold of a still greater elevation the remain- 

 ing moisture is wrung out of the clouds. This 

 winter rain-current, in its sweep inland, passes over 

 the crest of the Coast Range in a more or less con- 

 tinuous sheet ; yet like a vast aerial river it avails 

 itself of every break and depression of the range 

 to pour through in still denser volume. And it is 

 opposite these breaks and depressions of the range 

 that we find the line of greatest rainfall in the inte- 

 rior valleys, as the lower and more humid portion 

 of the current has at these points been able to 

 reach the interior without having its moisture 

 wrung out in crossing the range. 



The influence of the Coast Range upon the cli- 

 \ mate of the interior valleys is felt in still another 

 I way ; by obstructing the inward flow of the daily 



