THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



345 



of begonias, and while making a fine show have been 

 greatly admired by our numerous visitors. 

 13. Eucharis grandiflora. 



This old favorite plant is not so frequently seen in this 

 country as it ought to be. Gardeners who have had their 

 training on the other side of the water are all acquainted 

 with it, as it plays an important part in many establish- 

 ments in Europe. While it may be grown very well in 

 pots, and we have seen splendid specimens so grown, we 

 have some planted out at the end of one of our Orchid 

 houses which never fail to give us a good return of its 

 beautiful white and fraq;rant flowers. 



QUERIES and ANSWERS 



IVe believe the greatest good can be accomplished for the greatest 

 number, by instituting a query column; or an exchange of expe- 

 riences, on practical propositions, by our readers. 



You are invited to contribute questions, and answer others. 



Each question as received will be given a number, the question- 

 er's name will not be published, but the source of the answer wilt 

 be given unless otherwise requested. 



We all have something we -would like to know more about. Here 

 is your opportunity to ascertain somebody's experience in just thai 

 matter. 



Nothing -anil tend to better fellowship than helping each other. 



Take advantage of this "Question Box." 



Would anybody tell his experience with shredded 

 cow manure? Fresh cow manure is hard to get nowa- 

 days. Are the results with shredded cow manure 

 equal? N. Y. S. 



Replying to X. Y. S. query, re-shredded cow manure 

 I should say from experience that the results are certainly 

 not equal to fresh cow manure. I have found that the 

 shredded material is a mixture of all kinds of manure 

 evidently collected in the stock yards, some of it looked 

 more like pig manure than cow manure. I have seen it 

 used with good results as a liquid mamire, soaking it in 

 a barrel of water, where weak solutions were applied. 

 W. H. 



Why must the shoots of cultivated plants be pruned? 

 How does summer pruning differ from winter prun- 

 ing? 



To what extent does scion and stock mutually in- 

 fluence one another in grafting? D. F., N. Y. 



My bay trees are affected with some trouble which 

 is causing the leaves to turn red on the back, and curl- 

 ing them up. What is this caused by, and what can I 

 do for them? T. B., Mass. 



Can any reader explain to me if it is the case, and 

 why that old seed of melons are preferable to fresh 

 seeds? H. 



I should like to get some advice as to what crop will 

 make the best sod for growing roses. Can you get any 

 information for me? T. M. C, Mass. 



Answer to Question of A. A. F., Pa., December Issue. 



The part nearest the bark of a tree is the youngest. 

 In the earliest stages of the stems of shrubs and trees the 

 arrangement and constitution of the tissues are essen- 

 tially the same as in simple short-lived herbaceous stems. 

 With an increase of age there is, however, a steady in- 

 crease in thickness from year to year. The greatest part 

 of the increased bulk of tissues in stems such as these, is 

 brought about by division of the initial cells of the cam- 

 buim-ring. Division of the cambium-cells, and the 

 growth and development of the products continue from 

 spring to autumn ; in winter cell-division ceases. Since 

 the cambuim extends in the form of a continuous cylinder 

 within the stem, a new cylinder of wood is added every 

 growing season to the outside of that already present. 

 If a tree is sawn across a number of ring-like zones are 

 noticeable in the wood. They are termed annual-rings 

 and each represents the wood tissue produced bv the 

 cambuim during one active vegetative period. From the 

 beginning of one vegetative period to the commencement 

 of another is generally one year, so that in a two-year-old 

 stem two rings are visible, in one three-year-old three 

 rings are seen, and so on. 



The healing of wounds on woody stems shows that 

 growth is made nearest the bark. Wounds into the soft 

 parts of herbaceous stems, leaves, tubers and fruits soon 

 become healed over by the formation of a layer of cork 

 cells, which develop from the uninjured cells exposed by 

 the wound. When the mature wood of a stem or branch 

 is exposed it becomes covered by the gradual extension 

 of a tissue chiefly manufactured by the cambium. The 

 cambium exposed by the cut and the very young cells of 

 the wood at first give rise to a mass of soft tissue termed 

 callus. In the outer parts of the latter there soon forms 

 a cork-cambium, while within it is developed a new cam- 

 bium from which wood is ultimately produced. Year by 

 year the new tissues produced by the cambium extend 

 further and further inwards over the exposed wood until 

 the edges meet all round, after which time the cam.bium 

 exists as a continuous layer over the wounded surface. 



The cambium of a stem is continuous with that of its 

 branches, although in the latter the amount added per 

 annum is smaller than in the stem. The basal portions 

 of a branch become buried by the wood added to the 

 stem year by year. You will often notice in a longi- 

 tudinal board that the buried part of the branch is cut 

 almost transversely and appears as an oval knot. 



W. Saville, Bergenfield, N. J. 



FLOWER, VEGETABLE AND GRASS SEEDS 



HOSEA WATERER 



Seedsman and 



Bulb Importer 



H c 



u lOYand 109 South Seventh St. m 

 Z PHILADELPHIA, PA. S 



Catalogue mailed free upon request 

 PLANTS, BULBS, GARDEN TOOLS 



