1883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



283 



and the Furze and the Broom and many others 

 abound in the woods and along the roadsides. 

 In Mr. Johnston's beautiful nurseries I saw the 

 Deodar, and many other half-hardy evergreens 

 with us, growing magnificently, and I have never 

 in any part of the world — not even in its native 

 home at Calaveras, Mariposa, and other places — 

 seen the great mammoth Sequoia so evidently 

 well satisfied with this world as in Mr. Johnston's 

 grounds. These nursery grounds are not very 

 large, but had more variety than I have seen in 

 any nursery since I left home. Apples, pears, 

 plums, and particularly cherries, make a remark- 

 ably vigorous and healthy growth, and just now 

 the cherries are breaking down with their weight 

 of fruit. But here, as elsewhere, good culture 

 has to tell its own story. Apple orchards are set 

 out, and then they are left to struggle for food 

 with the grass or other vegetation, and soon get 

 yellow, hide-bound and moss-clotted ; and then 

 the owners tell me " the apple is one of the fruits 

 which will not do in Victoria;" but when you 

 come to places where the apple tree has all the 

 ground to itself, or, having other things growing 

 with it, is still manured enough for both, then you 

 see that the apple will do as well as elsewhere. 

 And what a country for the cooler-loving fruits 

 and vegetables ! The common currant grows five 

 feet high and bears fruit as large as the cherry or 

 Versailles. And such cabbages, lettuce, peas, 

 and so forth, few, if any, of our readers ever saw. 

 I almost felt that I could remain here, but when 

 I remembered the grapes, and watermelons, and 

 tomatoes, and scores of other things which we 

 have and they may envy, I shall feel free to re- 

 turn as happy as when I left home. 



I hurried to finish this, so as to leave it at some 

 British settlement we might touch at on the road, 

 but I find that on some Custom House or Interna- 

 tional law we must not land on British soil, so 

 I must save it for mailing in some Alaskan port — 

 probably Sitka or Fort Wrangel. T. M. 



UNDER THE SASHES AND UNDER 

 THE SOD. 



BY WM. T. HARDING, MOUNT HOLLY, N. J. 



Those who are supposed to know best about 

 such matters as the writer frequently discusses in 

 these pages are apt to dissuade lovers of floricul- 

 ture, with less zeal than prompts your correspond- 

 ent, from exploring the exotic wonders of plant-life, 

 in their adopted habitats under the sashes, while 



the scorching, sultry atmosphere of hot July pre- 

 vails. And, no doubt> many are deterred from so 

 doing on that account and consequently miss 

 many a pleasing scene. But as life is too short, 

 and at best uncertain, I fully determined without 

 further procrastination, on the 26th ult., to visit 

 the well-known nursery and greenhouses of David 

 Fergusson & Sons, Ridge and Lehigh avenues, 

 Philadelphia. Alighting from the Ridge avenue 

 passenger cars, which pass close by the nursery 

 gate, I was at once among the many glass struc- 

 tures which have from time to time there risen up 

 since it was my last privilege, years ago, to view the 

 establishment. Ajt that time I was accompanied 

 by my esteemed friend, the late Mr. Fergusson, an 

 honest man, in whom there was no guile. Happily, 

 the honored father left the nursery in charge of his 

 two enterprising sons — who commendably tread in 

 their sire's footsteps. And the same hospitable 

 roof under which I was kindly entertained, with 

 one exception shelters all of the same happy 

 family. 



Although it was what is usually called the dull 

 part of the season among the followers of floricul- 

 ture, yet business seemed to be brisk with them. 

 Several of the active hands were busily engaged 

 packing up a large order of choice roses, for a 

 well-known nurseryman in Maryland. And of the 

 family of Rosa, the queen of flowers, which is both 

 numerous, healthy and beautiful — there are vast 

 numbers grown in pots, for convenience of ship- 

 ing with safety to all parts of the country, at any 

 time or season. A large square of finely grown 

 plants of the same kind were flourishing outside, 

 for potting later on. These were as beautiful as roses 

 could well be. Adjacent to the rose-house was a 

 large torcing-house, for the culture of young grape 

 vines of the Muscat and Black Hamburg type; 

 and more vigorous, or cleaner grown vines would 

 be difficult to find. As growers of foreign grape 

 vines the Fergussons have long been famous ; and 

 as there seems to be a steady demand for good 

 thrifty vines, it indicates the increasing favor good, 

 luscious grapes, when grown under glass, are at 

 present receiving. And near to the propagating 

 house is a fair sized grapery, showing an excellent 

 crop of fruit, which is kept more for the purpose 

 of growing wood for propagating the various kinds, 

 true to name, than for the fruit produced. The 

 , native, or hardy grape vines, of which all the 

 I popular varieties are grown, seemed to vie with the 

 ' foreigners for superiority of growth. 



Leaving Pomona's locale, I turn again into Flora's, 

 domain, where her august presence gently hovers 



