12 



IRISH GARDENING. 



The Pine Trees of the Rocky 

 Mountain Region.* 



By G. B. SuDWOKTH (Dendrologist). in T^niled 

 States Department of Agricultnre. 



A MONOGRAPH on the dendrology of the different 

 species of pine tree (Pinus sp.) that inhabit the 

 Eocky ^Mountain region. Tlie exact limits of the 

 territory covered by this publication are given in 

 a preceding article of the writers. Some 70 

 species of pines are known in the world ; 36 of 

 tliem grow in the United States, 14 of the latter 

 ]>eing found in the Rocky Mountain region. Six 

 of these Rocky Mountain species occur also in the 

 Pacific slope region, and 1 ranges eastward from 

 the Rockies in Canada into the Atlantic Coast 

 country (Pinus Banksiana). The cones of some 

 Pines may remain closed for several, or many 

 seasons : those of one American species (Pinus 

 albicaulis) never open naturally. This explains 

 how certain Pines often rejjroduce themselves 

 after a forest fire. 



Tlie Pines descrilied are divided into 2 large 

 groups ; 



Whitk Pines : Pinus monticola Douglas 

 known as Western White J^ine, this must not be 

 confused with the true Wliite Pine, Pinus Strobus, 

 the wood of which tree it now largely replaces — 

 Limber Pine (Pinus fiexibilis James) — White 

 Bark Pine (l'inusalbicaulisEngelmann)^Mexican 

 white pine (Pinus strobiformis Engelmann) — Mexi- 

 can pinon(Pinus cembroides Zuccarini), this tree 

 has the heaviest wood of all the Rocky Mountain 

 Pines ; it is used only for fuel and other domestic 

 purposes ; the seeds are edible — Pinon, or Nut 

 Pine (Pinus edidis Engehnann), the seeds of this 

 Pine are eaten by the Indians and settlers — 

 Single-leaf Pine (Pinvis monophylla Torry and 

 Fremont) the only single-leafed Pine of Nortli 

 America ; the seeds are also much used for food — 

 Bristle-cone Pine (P. aristata Engelmann). 



Yeli.ow Pines : Arizona Pine (Pinus arizonica 

 l<]ngelmann) — Western Yellow Pine (P. ponderosa 

 Lawson) is one of the most majestic of the Pines 

 of N. America : in general, the height is from 

 125-140 ft. with a practically clear trunk of from 

 40-60 ft., while some trees are said to have 

 attained the height of over 200 ft. It produces 

 one of the most valuable woods of the Rocky 

 Mountain region ; the wood is, however, only 

 moderately durable in contact with earth, or 

 when exposed to the weather in an unprotected 

 state — Apache, or Arizona longleaf Pine (Pinus 

 apacheca Lemmon) — Chihuahua Pine (P. chiliua- 

 huana Engelmann) — ^Lodgepole Pine (P. contorta 

 ijoudon) — Jack Pine (P. banksiana Lambert). 



Berberis Prattii. 



Berberis Prattii, which the late Editor of 

 Irish Gardening described as the finest fruiter 

 of all the numerous new Barberries from China, 

 is svirpassing itself this year, and in the nursery at 

 Killiney at present all the growths, save those 

 of the current year, are laden with brilliantly 

 coloured berries — salmon-scarlet, with a lovely 

 plum- like " bloom." The erect habit of this 

 Barberry renders it of greater value as an orna- 



* " Monthly Bulletin of Agricultural Intelligence and 

 riant Diseases." 



mental fruiting slu-ub tlian the now well-known 

 B. WilsoiuiN wliich, althougli a beautiful plant, 

 partially hides its fruit under its seiui-prostrate 

 stems. The lovely berries of B. Prattii are well 

 displayed, and on 17th October I cut a brancli 

 abovit 3 feet tall, thickly clustered with berries 

 from tip to base. B. Prattii is not a shrub whicli 

 appeals only to shrub fanciers. It is one tliat 

 evcryhodu ^^'iH like, and it can be grown in any 

 garden. I think it one of the most delightful 

 and most striking of all shrubs when in fruit. 



J. :\i. w. 

 Apple the Rev. W. Wilks. 



This is certainly one of the most striking apples 

 of recent introduction. Raised in the Middle 

 Green JSurseries, Langley Slough, it has quickly 

 come into favour, and already in England it is 

 often seen on the exhibition table. It is remark- 

 able in bearing fruit in qiiite a young state, in 

 fact I have seen it in the nursery lines at Langley : 

 each tree, probably two years old, bearing several 

 fruits of large size. Trees four and five years old 

 crop freely, the size of the fruits being a feature, 

 and the vigour of tlie variety being so great that 

 cropping thvis in the young state has evidently 

 no adverse effect on growth. The frvxits are con- 

 spicuous in colour as well as size, the skins being 

 of a peculiar greenish-White colour, easily dis- 

 cerned from a distance. 



The variety seems particularly suitable for 

 small gardens where a free-fruiting kitchen Apple 

 is required. 



Fruit Culture in Queensland. 



Fruit growing is being actively organized in the 

 aegis of the Department of AgTicvdtiu'e in Queens- 

 land, and commercial fruit growing is ever be- 

 coming more popular. The largest increases in 

 area, during the year have been those put to 

 deciduous fruits, including grapes, in the 

 Stanthoi^pe district ; bananas and pineapples 

 along the coast, citrus fruits from the coast 

 inland, followed by custard apples, papaws, 

 passion fruit, &c. 



Not alone in tlie Stanthorpe district has grape 

 culture increased, but it has received quite an 

 impetus in many parts of the State, and a con- 

 siderable amount of correspondence in this con- 

 nection has been dealt with. The principal 

 centres for this branch of tlie fruit industry are 

 Roma and Brisbane Valley for wine and table 

 varieties, and Pinkenba, Stanthorpe, and Rock- 

 hampton for table grapes. 



Some years ago the Department was in posses- 

 sion of one of the best cxnd most complete collec- 

 tions in the Commonwealth of table, wine, and 

 resistant varieties, at the then State Farm at 

 Westbrook. Since losing control of that Institu- 

 tion, unfortunately, through bad seasons and 

 neglect, the best portion of this collection has 

 been lost, and it is now of the utmost importance 

 to establish another collection for the purpose 

 of distributing varieties adapted to the localities 

 of our varied climate. With this object in view, 

 a convenient area of land, situated on the Brisbane 

 Valley line, has ))een obtained, and will shortly be 

 planted with the best selection it is possible to 

 get this season from within this and other 

 phylloxera-proof States. 



