372 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[December, 



trees can be little more than 150 years old, nearly 

 all are past their best. The English oak (Ouercus 

 Robur), which in England is said to live for a 

 thousand years, has grown to full size and wholly 

 died away in this garden, and the foreign spruces 

 are on the down grade. The great cypress (Taxo- 

 dium distichum), and which must have made an 

 average growth of four lines a year, has also be- 

 gun to show signs of deterioration. Silver firs 

 (Abies pectinata) in the vicinity of Philadelphia 

 known to be planted in 1800 are decaying. This 

 is the general experience. 



In seeking for the cause of this difference we 

 are accustomed to look at the relative humidity of 

 the atmospheres of Great Britain and the Atlantic 

 United States. Evergreens like Cerasus Lauro- 

 Cerasus, Laurus nobilis and Viburnum tinus, 

 which will endure a temperature of 25^ below 

 freezing point in Great Britain, are killed by 10^ 

 in Philadelphia ; and, it is believed, by the dryer 

 atmosphere causing a heavier drain for moisture 

 on the vital powers of the plant to supply. A 

 strain which will wholly destroy plants in some 

 instances, must have an enervating influence 

 where it does not wholly destroy, and this would 

 naturally be exhibited in shortening the life of the 

 tree. 



The climate of Alaska had the same favoring 

 influences we found in Great Britain. The warm 

 Sea of Japan flowed against its south-eastern face, 

 along which the trees referred to were found. 

 The atmosphere was always moist, and severe 

 weather almost unknown. At Sitka, in latitude 

 57^-, as much as 100 inches of rain had fallen in a 

 single year. The harbor was rarely frozen — boats 

 came in and went out at all times of the year. 

 There were some winters when no ice of any con- 

 sequence was seen. These were circumstances 

 favorable to longevity in trees. 



Mr. Meehan concluded by remarking that Dr. 

 Lindley had said somewhere that his researches 

 had failed to show that there was any period ot 

 duration of life set for any tree, and that if cir- 

 cumstances favored there seemed no reason why 

 trees might not live for an indefinite period, and 

 therefore arguments oflfered in connection with 

 the " wearing out of varieties " based on what is 

 called the " natural life of a tree " had little force. 

 Mr. Meehan believed his observations on the lon- 

 gevity of trees on the Pacific Coast confirmed Dr. 

 Lindley's views. At any rate, there seemed noth- 

 ing phenomenal in the age of the Sequoia gigan- 

 tea, as other species partook of similar longevity 

 to a great extent. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



PoDOPiivLLCM IN FORMOSA. — Dr. Hance re- 

 cords in the yournal of Botany the existence of a 

 species of this genus in the island of Formosa. 

 Previously botanists knew only of the common 

 North American species and of the Himalayan 

 one, P. Emodi (see Gardeners' Chronicle, p. 241, 

 vol. xviii.), which has also lately been discovered 

 in the province of Kansu. The discovery of a 

 new species in Formosa (P. pleianthum) might 

 have been anticipated. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



SuBER-CELL. — This is a technical term indicat- 

 ing the origin of the corky growths of vegeta- 

 tion. In the paper on Arizona potatoes, in the 

 November number the compositor made it read 

 "tuber-cell," and though corrected in the proof, 

 persisted in retaining it. As tubers were referred 

 to properly in other parts of the paragraph, he 

 concluded the editor must have written "suber" 

 by mistake, in spite of the editor's own correction I 

 No wonder even the virtuous Greeley would some- 

 times get provoked at proof-readers and com- 

 positors. Certainly there ought to be some special 

 place of torment provided for them, as some of 

 our correspondents occasionally suggest. 



Is Kalmia Poisonous? — Revue Horticole of 

 August 16 gives a case where a mass of grass was 

 mown and thrown out for goats, which ate thereof. 

 Soon after the animals were taken by violent con- 

 tractions of the stomach and vomiting, and one 

 died next day. The writer says the dry seed ves- 

 sels from a cultivated mass of Kalma latifolia had 

 been cut off and thrown on these lawn mowings, 

 and the sickness of the goats is attributed to the 

 Kalmia seeds. The editor thinks the experiment 

 ought to be repeated, so as to give more certainty 

 to the impression that Kalmia did the evil, and 

 that other ericaceous plants should be tested. He 

 believes Rhododendron ponticum is poisonous. 



Drink from the Eucalyptus. — From the 

 spring sap of one of the celebrated gum trees of 

 Australia, Eucalyptus Gunnii, a very pleasant 

 drink is prepared, which, in that part of the world, 

 is known as "gum- cider." Besides this, pure 

 water is said to be obtained by the thirsty trav- 

 eler from the roots. After being dug they are cut 

 into short lengths, and stood upright in vessels, 

 when the water drains out and is then drunk. 



The Leaves of Marantas. — On the upper 

 part of the leaf- stalk of Maranta there is an 

 articulation, and at this point the leaves rise and 

 fall at stated periods in its daily life. This gives- 



