THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



251 



OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT WITH FOREIGN PLANTS. 



The Bureau of Plant Imlustry, U. S. Deiiartmeut uf Agriculture, 

 is about to issue its catalogue which will describe over 8(X) species 

 •or varieties of new foreisu plants, most of which have not been 

 grown to any extent in this country. Familiarity with them is con- 

 sequently very limited, and they are not like standard seeds and 

 plants, the behavior of which can be predicted with more or less 

 <-ertaiuty. They have been imported for trial because of some direct 

 •or indirect use which it is believed can be made of them by Amer- 

 icans. 



These plants are introduced primarily for use by the Federal and 

 State Experiment stations of the country, but are available to such 

 Ijrivate growers as have the necessary facilities and are desirous 

 of testing them, notwithstanding the fact that they are quite un- 

 tried commercially. Sinie these plants must ultimately be grown 

 by private individuals before their commercial success is assured, it 

 jiiay be well to point out that those private experiincntors who 

 test these problematical new phmls are assisting in a very practical 

 way in ihe plant introduction work of the country even though 

 they are not paid for their work. 



It is often around the successful cultivation of a new introduc- 

 tion by some private individual that a new plant industry begins. 



The new plants imported by this office of the Department of 

 Agi-iciilture are in most cases so little known to experimentors that 

 their scientific or even common names alone would convey little 

 idea of their character. To enable him at any time to refresh his 

 memory as to the use of any one of these introductions, special 

 celluloid tags have been devised upon which are printed sixty words 

 of description. These descriptive tags are attached lo the plants 

 when they are sent out. The catalogue is made up of the identical 

 descriptions which will appear upon the celluloid tags. 



The informatiou on the labels consists of the Plant Introduction 

 (S. P. I.) number, under which the plants are known at all times, 

 of the scientific name and a common name, when one has been 

 adopted for this country, and a brief description of tlie plant with 

 its uses, and, where possible at this time, a suggestion of the gen- 

 <'ral region to which the plant is likely to be adapted. 



The Bureau of Plant Industry invites the cooperation of garden- 

 ers in testing out these foreign plant introductions, both for green- 

 house and outdoor purposes, to enable the Bureau to learn of their 

 suitability for our varied climates. It is to be supposed that some 

 ■of these introductions will adopt themselves to any of our climatic 

 conditions and some only to certain conditions, while it will be 

 found that others cannot he grown at all successfully in this coun- 

 try. It is for the purpose of gaining knowledge of these plants' 

 behijvior in different sections of the country that they are being 

 distributed among those who signify a willingness to aid in the 

 experiments. Gardeners desiring to interest themselves in this 

 work are requested to address : I'. 11. Dorsett, in charge of Plant 

 Introductions, Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Washington, D. C. 



TIMELY HINTS FOR NOVEMBER, DECEMBER AND 

 JANUARY. 



Collect egg masses of the tussock moth. 



Ctit out and burn all hickory trees infested with hickory bark 

 beetle. 



Begin to spray fruit trees against the attacks of all scale 

 in sects. 



Cut aw-ay all twigs and branches of plum and cherry trees 

 infested with "Black Knot." 



Pick off all mummied fruit from peach and plum trees and 

 gather all diseased fruit from the ground and burn. 



Prune and remove dead wood from trees. Treat cavities before 

 freezing weather. 



Protect rhododendrons with evergreen boughs; partial shade 

 during bright days in winter is all that is necessary against sun 

 scald. 



Cut around the base of trees lo be moved this winter and fill 

 trench with strawy manure. This will allow you to easily move 

 tree with a frozen ball. 



Take out trees badly infested with the locust borer. 



Where apple orchards are badly infested with apple scab, plow 

 to bury the fallen leaves, the chief sources of primary infection 

 in the spring. 



For peach rust wash the trees in winter with ferrous sulphate 

 one-fourth, to destroy spores. 



Inspect all pear trees for fire blight now and again in early 

 spring before blossoms open and cut out and treat all cankers 

 in main limbs and body. 



Use all of the fallen leaves for a mulch for the trees. Do not 

 burn them. 



( ut out portions of willow and poplar infested with the willow 

 and poplar borer. — Tree Talk. 



NEED FOR SHADE TREE EXPERTS. 



Too little appreciation of tlie value of shade trees is evident 

 in many towns and cities throughout the United States. The 

 residents anil the cily ollicials do not realize how much more 

 attractive their city would be if it had well-shaded streets and 

 tiees about the residences. Perhaps this is because the majority 

 of them have never seen such streets as, for instance, those in 

 Washington. It is a condition which may be overcome by 

 education. 



There is need for experts in shade tree conditions who are 

 competent to fill positions for the care of a city's trees, as it 

 will not be nuuiy years before all the progressive cities in the 

 country will have shade tree commissions or departments having 

 power to engage men to care for their shade trees. Provision is 

 now being made for the apparent need of these men by several 

 of the colleges which have already inaugurated, or are contem- 

 plating inaugurating, a department for the training of experts 

 in shade tree work. 



Several cities where the value of such trees has been appreci- 

 ated have shade tree departments which not only provide for trees 

 owned by the public, but give service for those privately owned, 

 and in every instance where the management is competent and 

 the appropriation suiiicient to meet the needs the citizens have 

 reason to be proud of the result. — American Forestry. 



PROPOSED JOINT EXHIBITION AT NEWPORT, R. I. 



There is a good prospect of a big joint exhibition in Newport, 

 R. I., next summer in which it is hoped that the three local horti- 

 cultural oiganizations — the Newport Horticultural Society, The 

 CMrden Club and the Garden Association — may participate, in 

 conjunction with the American Sweet Pea Society and possibly 

 the American Rose Society. At a recent meeting of the com- 

 mittee of the Garden Association, they expressed themselves in 

 favor of joining with the Horticultural Society in holding a 

 sweet pea show at the Casino, and much interest has been mani- 

 fested in the project. It is proposed to offer substantial prizes 

 for sweet peas growing in tubs. The date suggested is about 

 July 8, 191.5. Secretary Bunyard of the American Sweet Pea 

 Society is doing all he can to further this interesting proposition 

 and is endeavoring to induce the Rose Society to co-operate. If 

 Mr. P.unyard's plans are backed up, Newport will have the most 

 notable exhibition of the season. Roses should be very fine in 

 that section at the time proposed and the Rose Society would 

 be right in its element. — Hortieiilture. 



DEMANDING CONSERVATION OF THEIR TREES. 



Residents of Lake Forest. 111., stirred by the fact that the 

 shade trees on the streets of their attractive town are not getting 

 the proper care, recently held a mass meeting and presented to 

 the City Council some resolutions demanding vigorous action. 

 They mean to see that the City Council does not neglect their 

 request and will do all they can to beautify their streets and 

 gardens by planting appropriate trees and shrubbery and seeing 

 that those already ])lanted receive proper care. 



The resolutions cpiote the fact that the care of trees and 

 slinibbery against ravages of insects and disease is being weak- 

 ened by ill-advised planting of trees not suitable for the ground 

 and climate and asking the Cit}' Council to appoint a permanent 

 commission to safeguard the trees of the city, this commission 

 to be empowered to superintend such conservation and forestry 

 «oik as is deemed advisable., to insist on cooperation from 

 private owners, and if possible join with other towns in the 

 vicinity in engaging a competent forester to oversee all advisable 

 wo I k. — Ea-ch aiige. 



REPORT OF THE S. A. F. SCHOOL GARDEN COMMITTEE. 



Within twenty years the idea of school gardening has spread 

 from Boston to the Pacific Ocean and to the Philippine Islands 

 under United States Control. 



Twenty-two years ago at the S. A. F. convention, held in 

 Washington, D. C, Mr. Robert Farquhar, of Boston, delivered an 

 address recommending school gardening, from which we quote : 



"I think the members of this society should make a united 

 effort to have the claims of lloriculture for children and kindred 

 subjects recognized in all our schools. I feel sure that a large 

 majority of the teachers would give their hearty support to 

 wisely planned efl'orts in this dfrcction. I am honored by the 

 acquaintance of one or two teachers who have for years distrib- 

 uted many hundreds of plants among their little pupils and with 

 most encouraging results." 



(Continued on page 259.) 



