70 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



January, 



A Japanese Contribution to New 

 Chrysanthemums. 



The remarkable Chrysanthemum bloom 

 shown in the engraving below, gives some 

 idea of the development that has taken place 

 in this tlower at the hands of Japanese gar- 

 deners. The original was grown in the gar- 

 den of the Emperor of Japan, and our like- 

 ness is a faithful one; it was engraved from 

 a photograph. 



The tlower is most extraordinary both as 

 regards form and immense size, which i 



abundant rainfalls, and keep a number of 

 rivers, among them the majestic Hudson, 

 supplied with the water needed for a .steady 

 yet moderate flow. The feature of practical 

 utility is thus added to the charm of poetry 

 and rolnance. But these charming and use- 

 ful forests are no longer safe from the 

 vandalism that has laid low the beautiful 

 trees in other eastern mountain ranges, es- 

 pecially in the Blue Ridge and all parts of 

 the Alleghanies reached by railroads. The 

 extension of railroads in the Adirondack 



original America with all its poetic charms 

 and romantic associations, should be forever 

 preserved at any cost, especially as it is also 

 of immense practical value as a supporter 

 and equalizer of the water supply of im- 

 portant rivers. We believe the people of 

 the state will gladly bear any reasonable 

 expense for so worthy an object. The mat- 

 ter should be agitated thoroughly and at 

 once. If the people are willing, the purchase 

 cannot be made too soon. Every day's delay 

 means Increase of cost, and danger to the 

 floal execution of the scheme. 



The Great Spidcrkry or KarakwnH Chrysanthemum of Japan. He-engraved at one-half the diameter 

 from London Gardeners^ Magazitte. 



characteristics together suggested the name 

 it has received Great Spiderkry or Karak- 

 wmi. From tip to tip the petals measured 

 the extraordinary length of sixteen inches. 

 The center was of a bright deep yellow, and 

 the tubular florets were of a deep bronze 

 yellow tinge. 



Is the Great Spiderkry, supported by Its 

 crinoline of wire, beautiful? From an Amer- 

 ican or European exhibitor's stand the ec- 

 centric bloom would perhaps hardly be so 

 considered. In Japan, the home of the gro- 

 tesque long-petalled Chrysanthemums 

 known as the Japanese race, and which con- 

 tribute so picturesque a feature to every 

 collection of this flower even in our own 

 land, this new variety is looked upon as the 

 acme of perfection in its class. That it 

 possesses a certain grace and delicacy is not 

 to be disputed, and we imagine that Amer- 

 icans could soon cultivate a sufficient lean- { 

 ing towards the Japanese standard of taste, 

 to quite go into ecstacies over the present ' 

 singular subject. i 



The Great Spiderkry conveys one Striking 

 lesson, namely, the differentiation that the ' 

 vegetable kingdom is susceptible to under 

 cultivation. The progenitor of this extra- 

 ordinary flower was a little yellow bloom, 

 that nobody a score of years ago could have 

 thought of improving to such an end. 



What next is to be expected in Chrysan- 

 themum novelties-' 



Shall We Have a State Forest Res- 

 ervation in the Adirondacks? 



The Adirondack Mountains— the famous 

 North Wood of the hunter and fisherman— 

 are the only tract of primitive forests now 

 left in the northeastern states, and remnant 

 of primitive wilUness still inhabited by the 

 original fauna and flora in the midst of 

 modern civilization. As such they are not 

 only interesting but unique. 



In these numerous lakes and forests we 

 have the great reservoirs which absorb the 



region has multiplied the number of tree 

 butchers and their facilities of operation. 

 The timber is gradually disappearing, and 

 , the price of timberlands is gradually ad- 

 vancing. 

 These latter facts are not such as would 

 ! particularly please the lover of charming 

 natural sceneries, or anyone who looks with 

 grave apprehension upon the steadily in- 

 creasing denudation of our mountain lands 

 and hillsides. The proposition to establish 

 a " state park '' or forest reservation of con- 

 siderable extent, including the head waters 

 of several rivers, appears to us quite oppor- 

 tune. Governor Hill, in his message to the 

 New York State Senate last winter, recom- 

 mended that the limit within which lands 

 are to be retained by the state for a state 

 park, should be settled and defined, and 

 they should include the wilder portion of 

 the region, covering the mountains and the 

 lakes around the head waters of the several 

 rivers, perhaps to an extent of 

 from fifty to seventy miles square. 

 The Forest Commission, ap- 

 pointed by joint action of the 

 two houses of the state legisla- 

 ture, and instructed to look into 

 the matter, has been making 

 investigations during the summer, 

 and will probably recommend 

 the adoption of a plan for the 

 establishment of a state park, and 

 the preservation of a large timber 

 tract. If the plan is feasible 

 (which we have no reason to doubt 

 it will be), action cannot be 

 taken too speedily. The lands to 

 be purchased by the state are 

 rapidly increasing in market value, and 

 the sooner the purchase is effected, the 

 less will be the expense to the common- 

 wealth of New York, or the larger the tract 

 purchasable at the same price. 



At least a part of the great natural monu- 

 ment of our past history, this remnant of 



Improvement of the Gladi- 

 olus in Europe. 



In a genus so easily raised from 

 seed and so favorable in many 

 respects to crossing and hybridiz- 

 ing, as the Gladiolus, we have 

 reason to e.xpect marked improve- 

 ment as an attendant on intelli- 

 gent cuUure, and this has oc- 

 curred. Beginning with the 

 numerous species from South 

 Africa, and others from Central 

 and Southern Europe and West- 

 ern Asid, classes and races of this 

 flower have sprung up which in 

 variety of form, color and general 

 beauty far excel the original 

 types. An encouraging fact in 

 the crossing of the Gladiolus is 

 that there is usually an increase 

 in the vigor and character of the 

 plants, as well as in the beauty of 

 the bloom. 



Among the later developments 

 in Gladioluses are the two sets of 

 striking new Hybrids brought 

 out recently by that famous cul- 

 tivator M. V. Lemoin, of Nancy, 

 France. Each set consists of nine 

 varieties. One of the sets is known under 

 the distinctive race title of Nanceanus, 

 being hybrids of G. Saundersoni superbus, 

 the nearly hardy kind, dating from 1871, 

 and having showy, bright ciimsom flowers, 

 spotted and striped with white. 



Of the latter race the most striking variety 

 is President Carnot, shown by the center 

 spike in the engraving. This remarkable 

 sort gives us 

 very broad 

 open flowers, 

 the originals 

 of our illus- 

 tration having 

 measured five 

 inches across. 

 The spreading 

 upper seg- 

 ments are of a 

 rosy ground; 

 richly flaked 



Plan for Rose Garden. See page tM. 



I with crimson of varying hue. The two 



I lower segments of the inner series have 



! each a yellowish-white blotch at the base, 



and are mottled and streaked with crimson. 



The variety to the left in the engraving is 



Alsace, the colors being pale buff marked 



with purple. The right-hand spike is Andre 



