VERBENA 



VERMONT 



1917 



9. Aubletia, Jacq. (V. AubUtia, var. Drummondii, 

 Lindl. V. Canadensis, Britton, l". Drummondii, 

 Hort. F. Ldmberti, Sims. K. montana, Hort., in 

 part). Fig. 2G55. Perennial, pubescent, with rather stiff 

 hairs or glabrate: branches slender and ascending from 

 a sometimes creeping rooting base, 0-18 in. high: lvs. 

 ovate or ovate-oblong in outline, 1-3 in. long, truncate, 

 broadly cuneate or subcordate at base and the petiole 

 more or less margined, incisely lobed and toothed, often 

 deeply 3-cleft: spikes peduncled, dense, short and capi- 

 tate in early flower, becoming 2-4 in. long in fruit: 

 bracts subulate, mostly shorter than the calyx— these 

 and the calyx densely glandular pubescent : calyx-teeth 

 unequal, filiform-subulate; corolla 6-10 lines long, from 

 bluish purple or lilac to rosy purple or white, frequently 

 approaching blue in dried specimens; limb %-'% in. 

 broad, lobes oblong or obovate, emarginate and more or 

 less revolute near the sinuses, throat provided with pali- 

 sade of short white hairs: upper anthers bearing each 

 a light brown, oblong gland which is barely exserted. 

 Colo, and Mex. eastward across the continent. B.B. 

 3:72. B.M. 308:2200. B.R. 4:294; 23:1925. -Reported 

 as producing many garden and spontaneous hybrids. 

 Garden forms are of stouter habit, less inclined to 

 root at base; lvs. larger, dark shiny green above, more 

 conspicuously veiny, clusters and individual fls. larger, 

 and the color variation more striking. Many forms have 

 a rich spicy fragrance quite different from that of the 

 hybrid Verbenas. On account of the robust, healthy 

 nature of V. Aubletia it has been frequently recom- 

 mended in horticultural literature as desirable for hy- 

 bridizing with the hybrid Verbenas to improve their 

 constitution. The cross would probably be too radical 

 for best results. It is to be regretted that this charming 

 species which is thought well of in Europe should be 

 neglected in its native America. 



_ V. bracteata and hastata, two weedy North American spe- 

 cies, have also been offered for cultivation, but they have small 

 garden value. Descriptions are easily obtained. 



J. H. Cowen. 



VERBENA, LEMON. Lippia. 



VERBENA, SAND. See Abronia. 



VERBESiNA (probably a meaningless alteration of 

 Verbena). Compdsitw. Crownbeard. About 50 spe- 

 cies of American herbs, annual or perennial (some 

 tropical species shrubby), with alternate or opposite, 

 often decurrent lvs. and corymbose or solitary heads of 

 yellow or white flowers; rays sometimes wanting, pis- 

 tillate or neutral: akenes flattened or those of the rays 

 3-sided, their margins winged or not; pappus of 2 (1-3) 

 awns, sometimes with 2 or 3 intermediate scales. 



About half a dozen hardy perennial Verbesinas have 

 slight rank as garden plants, but the competition among 

 yellow-fld. autumn-blooming composites is so great that 

 Verbesinas have little chance. The following species is 

 a robust and rather coarse plant, growing 4-8 ft. high, 

 and suitable only for the wild gardens and the back row 

 of the hardy border. It is doubtless of the easiest cul- 

 ture. It blooms from Aug. to Oct., and has numerous 

 yellow fls. K-l in. across in flatfish clusters. 



occidentalis, Walt. ( V. SiegesMckia, Michx.). Hardy 

 perennial herb, 4-8 ft. high: lvs. ovate (uppermost ob- 

 long-lanceolate), acuminate, serrate, the larger ones 

 8 in. long, contrasted into a marginal petiole: rays 

 styliferous and usually fertile: awns of pappus not 

 hooked. Dry hillsides, eastern U. S. B.B. 3:430. 



W. M. 



VERMONT, HORTICULTURE IN. Fig. 2656. Ver- 

 mont has no reputation as a horticultural state, either 

 amongst her own citizens or outside her boundaries, yet 

 there is not one important fruit or vegetable crop of 

 the temperate zone, not even excepting apricots and 

 peaches, which cannot be grown to perfection here. 

 With the exception of apricots, peaches and sweet cher- 

 ries all the temperate fruits can be produced in great 

 perfection. The only reason which can account for the 

 non-development of Vermont's horticultural resources 

 is the fact that the possibilities are not appreciated by 

 her land - owners. Vermont farmers are extremely 



conservative and slow to make a change in their meth- 

 ods of farming, so that the signal success of the few 

 who have taken up fruit-growing makes but small im- 

 pression on the many who are still busy making butter 

 and growing hay, potatoes, and little patches of grain. 



The home markets for fruit and vegetables are unu- 

 sually good. Strawberries rarely sell for less than 

 12K cents a quart, and the average price for good 

 fruit is probably nearer 15 cents. Blackberries usu- 

 ally bring 10 cents and raspberries 10-12% cents. 

 Cherries are hardly to be bought, though sour cherries 

 thrive and cherry pie is popular. The price for cherries 

 is always $3 to $4 a bushel. Good vegetables sell equally 

 well. With such favorable markets, supported by nu- 

 merous small manufacturing villages and a horde of 

 summer boarders, horticultural industries certainly 

 ought to thrive. 



The horticultural regions of Vermont are, roughly, 

 three. The first and most important is the Chatnplain 

 valley district, including several large islands in Lake 

 Champlain. This region reaches off toward Montreal on 

 the north ; and the general character of its horticulture 

 is much like that in the St. Lawrence valley between 

 Montreal and Lake Ontario. Winter apples are the 

 most important crop in this section. The second region 

 lies in the southwestern part of the state and belongs 

 to the upper Hudson valley. Apples will grow readily 

 when attended, but they are seldom cared for. Greater 

 success is secured with small fruits, the growing of 

 which is greatly encouraged by the large annual immi- 

 gration of summer residents. The third district com- 

 prises the valley of the Connecticut. It is the least de- 

 veloped of the three, horticulturally. The reason for 

 this fact is not plain. Soil and climate are admirably 

 adapted to all sorts of fruits. Even peaches are suc- 

 cessfully grown in orchards. The few men who are 

 growing plums, cherries, strawberries, etc., are proving 

 every year that the Connecticut valley in Vermont is 

 naturally as much a fruit region as any other. 



The apple crop offers the single semi-exception to 

 the statement that Vermont has no horticultural repu- 

 tation at home. There are a few commercial apple or- 

 chards in the Champlain valley which grow as fine 

 apples and yield as handsome cash profits as any or- 

 chards in America. Grand Isle county, made up of land 

 lying in Lake Champlain, has the principal reputation 

 for apples. The best orchards and the best orchard- 

 ists are found there; but Addison county ships about 

 double the quantity of apples. 



The varieties of apples grown for market are princi- 

 pally Greening, Spy, Baldwin and Fameuse. Next to 

 these come Mcintosh, King, Ben Davis, Spitzenburgh, 

 Seek-no-further and Arctic. A few old orchards con- 

 tain many of the old-time favorites, such as Fall Har- 

 vey, Dutch Mignonne, Gilpin, Grimes Golden, and the 

 like. But such collections are few and uncherished. 

 The modern commercial varieties are the only ones in 

 repute. 



Vermont has had some experience with the Russian 

 apples. In fact, Dr. T. H. Hoskins, of Newport, on the 

 northern boundary of the state, has been one of the most 

 famous experimenters with the Russian importations. 

 Nevertheless the Russian varieties have made small 

 impression on the pomology of the state. 



Plums are grown just enough to prove that they will 

 succeed admirably. Lombard, Green Gage, Bradshaw, 

 the Damsons and other old-fashioned sorts still retain 

 the preference of conservative Vermonters, though 

 other growers are planting chiefly of the Japanese va- 

 rieties, especially Burbank and Abundance. In the 

 northern and mountain towns only the Americana and 

 Nigra types are hardy enough ; but even these are sel- 

 dom grown. 



Among cherries Morello, Montmorency and Richmond 

 are favorites. Raspberries are mostly red, the black- 

 caps being seldom grown. Cuthbert is the leading 

 variety, though Schaffer and Columbian are gaining 

 friends rapidly. Blackberries are not carefully grown 

 usually. Fine blueberries are picked from the fields in 

 considerable quantities. Early varieties of grapes can 

 be ripened for home use, Concord, Worden, Moore 

 Early, Green Mountain and Delaware being leading 

 varieties. 



