54 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



1871 



farmer and the gardener. So important is it to 

 tliese two pursuits, tliat I do not liesitate recom- 

 mending every farmer and gardener even now to 

 study the subject. Let me tell you how I would 

 have it done. 



Professor Gray has written in simple language a 

 little work just adapted to the wants of the common 

 people. It is called "Gray's School and Field-hook 

 of Botany," and costs from two and a half to three 

 dollars. It is written in two parts — the first of 

 which is devoted to such topics as the names of 

 particular parts of plants ; liow plants grow ; how 

 seeds are formed, and how they germinate ; fertiliz- 

 ation; internal structure of plants; relations of 

 plants, etc., etc.; while the second part gives in tlie 

 order of their relationship, a description of all our 

 cultivated plants, along with the greater part of 

 those which grow wild in our forests, and on our 

 prairies. Both the scientific and common names 

 are given, and while in the whole make up of the 

 the book, technical terms are but little used, it is 

 still a reliable, .scientific work, fully up io the times. 

 This book I would advise every gardener and form- 

 er to get. I choose this one because its author is the 

 foremost of American botanists, and he has in this 

 work more nearly met the wants of the masses than 

 any other author with whose works I am acquainted. 

 The book if carefully read will enable any one to 

 hunt up the name of a new plant, whether wild 

 or cultivated, which may chance to be of interest. 

 Now, then, for some of the advantages which the 

 gardener might expect to reap for his pains. 

 Among these, the first is — it would enable him to 

 grow plants better. Not that a man can be a suc- 

 ce.ssful farmer or gardener just because of his 

 knowledge of botany, but of two men otlierwise 

 equal, the one who understands botany will, and 

 must succeed best. This follows as a matter of 

 course, for botany teaches us how plants grow, 

 what they feed on, and how they take their food, 

 and surely he who knows this must be able to pro- 

 vide better for liis plants than he who is ignorant of 

 it. Again, such a study would enable the gardener 

 to express in precise terms everything relating to 

 the description of plants and fruits. That there 

 is needof improvementhere need not be argued. An 

 attendance upon any of the meetings where discus- 

 sions upon the plants of the form or garden arise, 

 will soon reveal the fact that we lack termn to 

 express uuderstandingly what we mean. And fur- 

 ther, a knowledge of botany would aid the gar- 

 dener to make more experiments with a reasonable 

 degree of success. Teaching as it does the afiini- 

 ties of plants, showing their similarities and dis- 

 similarities, it enables the gardener to judge with 

 more accuracy in what line to conduct his experi- 

 iments. It will suggest to him where he may 

 improve his older varieties, while it will guard him 



against becoming the dupe of some absurd theory or 

 practice. I might prolong this article by mention- 

 ing the pleasure it would afford, and the chance it 

 would give to every one to add his mite to the 

 great store-house of science ; but lest I weary you 

 and your readers, I will forbear, hoping that the 

 above may induce some to study the natural history 

 of our plants and flowers. 



All About the Garden. 



We glean the following items pertaining to garden 

 products, from what was said at the last annual 

 meeting of the Ohio State Horticultural Society : 



Mr. Ritz spoke of the value of sugar beets as win- 

 ter food for milk cows, making the butter as fine in 

 color as that of summer. 



Mr. Elliott commended the Early Horn Carrot as 

 deserving more general cultivation. 



Col. Richmond spoke of the Brazilian sweet pota- 

 to as an excellent variety ; also, the Southern Queen 

 — five specimens exhibited. 



Mr. Elliott called attention to the Student 

 Parsnip as the best in flavor ; the Hollow Crown 

 next. Several other members commended the Stu- 

 dent variety. 



Mr. Ritz, of Plainville, said the White German 

 Dwarf Wax Bean was a decided acquisition. He 

 had brought from Europe seeds of a new red sugar 

 beet which he would distribute gratuitously to mem- 

 bers of the society. He regarded Crosby's early 

 sweet corn as the best early of good size. 



Mr. Mumma, of Daj-ton, said he had a new toma- 

 to that was peculiarly striped and variegated ; 

 would report on it next year. 



Col. James approved the practice of having no 

 fence around gardens, or none but board fences, 

 these to be used as trellises for grajje vines, as we 

 find grapes do better on fences and buildings than 

 in open ground. 



Dr. Warder — Claj' soil we all know is the one for 

 grapes, and shelter from dew and rain is very bene- 

 cial to the fruit. 



Mr. Campbell thought the Black Dwarf Wax 

 Bean the best he had tested ; the white might be 

 preferable on account of color. 



Mr. Elliott commended the Yorkshire Hero pea, 

 and of sweet corn he said Brill'.s was the earliest, 

 then Crosby's; of seven varieties tested, lie gave the 

 preference to Brill's. 



Pansies in Mass. — A corres])ondenl of the Gar- 

 dener's Chronicle says that no one who has not 

 seen the eftect of pansies in large mass, can have an 

 idea of their beauty. He planted a border, 400 

 yards long and 34 feet wide, with pansies and cer- 

 astiums, with a single row of pyramidal Zonale 

 geraniums in pots at intervals of ten feet, and it was 

 he admiration of all who saw it. 



