Feb. 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



27 



For the Weetera Pomologiet. 



Rambo and Yellow Bellefleur. 



Topographi/, LocaUiy and Soil /or the YellcnvBelle- 

 Jleur ; J^-otecCion and Localitii for the Rambo. 



A brief outliuf of the topograjiliy of this 

 viciuity, may give the reader a clearer view 

 of the facts we may present, from time to 

 time, in this correspondence. Each locality 

 has its peculiarity — both meteorologically 

 and geologically. 



As we are iiearthe sources of several small 

 streams that How east and empty into the 

 Des Moines, the surrounding country is hilly 

 — the main ridges are high prairie and pos- 

 sess a deep, warm soil, and generally speak- 

 ing, fringed on either side with valuable 

 timber, or a dense growth of small trees. 

 The small ridges on the north side of the 

 creeks slope olf gently and are covered, 

 where not in cultivation, with a growth of 

 burr, black and jack oaks, elm, hickory and 

 basswood ; a light, rich soil, well suited to 

 the production of corn, oats and potatoes. — 

 On the south side the blutis are abrupt — 

 covered with heavy growth of white oak 

 and red oak. The soil is nothing but a leafy 

 mold. Along tiie .south skirt of this timber 

 apples and cherries can be grown with more 

 certainty than fall wljeat, and no farmer, 

 within our knowledge, has given up the 

 growth of wheat because that cereal has 

 failed a few seasons. The clay is sufBciently 

 aluminous and silicious to make good bricks. 

 Where orchards have been planted on soil 

 over-lying this kind of sub-soil, the results 

 have corresponded with the extent of plant- 

 ing. The great care here in cultivation is 

 the proper application of manures. Many 

 fail from sheer negligence in this, others in 

 following an eastern experiencCj which is 

 found to be inexpedient when too late for the 

 health of the tree. To illustrate the proposi- 

 tion that different localities require not oi.ly 

 difference in cultivation, but ditlerent vari- 

 eties of trees, we will give our observations 

 in two contiguous localities and one or two 

 varieties of appk s there raised. 

 On our hills slo])ing to the south, or ridges, 

 surrounded by dense timber, tlie Rambo is a 

 rapid grower, a certain and prolific bearer ; 

 whilst on a deep, cold soil, willi no protection 

 from the prairie winds, it is not grown with 

 any success. The Yellow Belletleur, whose 

 fruit ismostsaleable,a tree of vigorous growth 

 under all ordinary circumstances, is not worth 

 its room on a deep, loo.se soil — rarely fruiting 

 — but on "white oak soil" produces abund- 

 antly and early conies to bearing. Much 

 expenditure of time and means vpould have 

 been .saved by attentUng to this siniide fact 

 in this county. Observer. 



Urbana City, Appanoose Co., Iowa. 



Remarks. — The experience of" Observer" 

 with Yellow Belletleur is that of others 

 without a single e.xception, who have planted 

 it in Iowa, so far at least, as our observation 

 and experience goes. For two or three 

 years past we have recommended this tree 

 for compact,tenacious soils only. A loamy soil 

 of ten to fifteen inches, underlaid with a 

 somewhat stitt' clay sub-soil will do, if well 

 undcrdraincd and the tree set deep — say with 

 collar six to ten inches below the natural 

 surface. 



A New System of Rose Culture. 



Under this head, F. Parkman writes to the 

 American Journal of Horticulture : 

 , Some of the French and English horti- 

 cultural Journals speak of a new metlnxl of 

 growing roses, qiate different from any be- 

 fore practiced. Tht essential points are 

 these : First, to prune out all tlie old wood ; 

 second, to shorten the new wood ver}' little ; 

 and, third, to peg it down flat to the earth. 

 The rose is allowed to bloom, like a rasji- 

 berry, only on the wood of the last j'ear's 

 growth ; and this wood is init very slightlj' 

 pruned. All thisjs very un-orthodox, and 

 contrary to every received maxim. The 

 effect, however, is said to be very fine. The 

 long, young shoots, pegged down to the 

 ground, produce an abundance of flowers 

 from every eye ; while fresh shoots grow up 

 with the grt'atest vigor from the center of 

 the iilant. These, in turn, are pegged down 

 tlie next year ; those which had bloomed 

 being first cut awa)'. It seems incredible 

 that roses, under this treatment, should pro- 

 duce as large flowers as under the sj'stem of 

 short and severe pruning; but they can cer- 

 tainly be produced in a prodigious abun- 

 dance. The ground is said to be completely 

 hidden with masses of foliage and blos.soms. 

 The effect of laying the shoots in a horizou- 

 Uil position is to cause the eyes, or leaf-buds, 

 to open from end to end of "the stem ; while 

 if it had been left in its natural, upright po- 

 sition, the tendency of the sap to rise would 

 have caused the eyes at the top to open, 

 while those below remained dormant. The 

 new method will probably be found to have 

 one great advantage : the rose will live lon- 

 ger undir it than when subjected to very 

 close pruning. This latter practice is sure 

 to result every season in a quantity of dead 

 wood, which has to be cut away. Some va- 

 rieties, when cut near to the ground year 

 after year, rapidly decline, and a"t length die. 

 The plan of long pruning and pegging 

 down was first tried two or three years ago 

 in England and France, and has since been 

 practiced with great success by a French 

 cultivator, M. Jean Sisley, of Lyons, who de- 

 scribes his experience in the Revm Ilortieole. 

 It is well worth a trial here. We mean to 

 try it, and we commend it to all amateurs 

 who have time and patience for experiment- 

 ing. 



How to Fill a Hanging Basket. 



In a former number of the Monthly we 

 describd " How to fill a Vase," and it is now 

 our intention to describe "How lo fill a 

 Hanging Basket." 



Hanging baskets are usually made of wire ; 

 many however are made of terra-cotta, 

 earthenware and rustic work. Of all men- 

 tioned, perhaps the latter is the most tasteful 

 and the most beautiful. 



If tlie basket be made of wire, we must 

 procure some moss with which to line it, to 

 prevent the earth from falling out. The best 

 moss is that which is to be f lund growing in 

 the woo(l.s, by the sides of small streams and 

 otlnr like damp places. In selecting it, 

 preference should be given to that of a bright 

 green color, and that which has not grown 

 too tall. Well, having selected our moss, our 

 next step must be that of placing it in the 

 basket. This is easily done, and requires no 

 directions other than that in placing it be 

 careful to arrange it so tliat it presents an 



entirely green surface on the outside. Do 

 not try to shave off too much of the earth 

 on the inside, but allow it to remain fully an 

 incli thick. 



The next question to be considered is the 

 soil. We have found that three-fourths 

 potting soil, (such as is u.sually found in green- 

 houses,) aud one-fourth sand, answers admi- 

 rably. Fill the basket half full of the above 

 mixture, and then select your plants. — 

 "Select your plants!" we hear some one 

 exclaim, "that is easier said than done!" — 

 Quite true ; but we propose to assist the 

 novice in his attempt. Of course there is, 

 and always will b<', various opinions as to 

 what plants look well in a hanging basket. 

 Aud here we wish to be understood that we 

 are simply giving our opinion, hoping that 

 if any differ from us (and doubtless many 

 will) they will give their opinions on this 

 subject in the columns of the Monthly. 



We think that to look well, a hanging 

 basket should not have anytliing in it that 

 will stand up too high, or whicli by growing, 

 may be out of all proportion to the size of 

 the ba.sket. We refer to such plants as Fish 

 and Rose Geraniums, Roses, Fucksias, &c. 

 In our opinion. Perns form most appropri- 

 ate centers ; around the edges Tradescantia, 

 Periwinkle and Lobelias may be used to 

 advantage. If the basket be svjspcnded with 

 a wire or chain of considerable length, noth- 

 ing looks more charming than to see a 

 climber, such as Maurandia or Thunbergia, 

 running up the wire. The beautiful Ci'ssus 

 diKcoloT is exquisite in this position. Try it. 



In speaking of "how to fill a hanging 

 basket,' above, we have referred to those to 

 hang in the open air under piazzas, but when 

 it is designed that it should hang in a hot- 

 house, orchids may be emjiloyed with great 

 effect. — [Gardener's Monthly. 



Gigantic Leap. — Hearth and Home says : 

 A plant has lately been discovered in Nica- 

 ragua which produces but a solitary leaf, but 

 this one, with its petiole (leafstalk), grows 

 fourteen feet long. This wonderful plant 

 has been named Oodrcinia gigas, in honor of 

 George Godwin, one of the founders of the 

 Art Union of London. The Godwiuia is al- 

 lied to the genus Hracontium, or the well- 

 known Dragon-flowers of our gardens. 



The discovery of an Englisli botanist of 

 such a wonderful plant near our own coun- 

 try ought to stimulate the botanical societies 

 of the United States to make some little ex- 

 ertion toward finding out what there is in 

 our continent worthy of notice. We have 

 millions of dollars to squander upon things 

 which are of no earthly use to our people, 

 but not a cent to devote to science. 



— It is stated that near Ricco's Bluffs, on 

 the St. John's river in Florida, there is an 

 orange grove embracing about an acre of 

 ground, which has borne this year 300,000 

 oranges. These, at two cents apiece, would 

 yield S6,000. The average price of over 

 100,000 already sold was three cents. Four 

 of the trees yielded about 5,000 oranges each. 



—The Southern Parmer (Memphis,) says : 

 " No man is fit to manage a farm who does 

 not think beforehand what it is best to do, 

 and which is the best way to do it. Work 

 without thought, without plan, has been the 

 blunder of many who pretend to be farm- 

 ers." 



— Some one has beautifully said: "The 

 water that flows from a spring does not con- 

 geal in winter, and those sentiments which 

 flow from the heart cannot be frozen bj' 

 adversity." 



^ 



— Never whine over what you suppose to 

 be the loss of opportunities. 



