April i, 1896.] 



Garden and Forest. 



139 



high, and in four and four and a half inch pots. Tin's 

 is the most popular size. Those unsold are cut down after 

 (lowering and grown on in six-inch pots, and make plants 

 about eighteen inches high and as much through. This, of 

 course, refers to the varieties now in flower, which are mostly 

 Erica persoluta alba for white, and E. Mediterranea for pink. 

 For Christmas there are grown here E. Wilmoreana, one 

 known as E. nigra and E. gracilis vernalis. Even earlier there 

 is a form of E. gracilis autunmalis, a favorite English variety. 

 There were a few plants of E. cylindrica just comingon, which 

 have large tubular corollas of a beautiful coral-color. Accord- 

 ing to recent investigations, Heaths and a number of plants 

 naturally growing in soil rich in humus have their roots much 

 modified, and flourish most successfully when their roots are 

 covered by fungoid growths. This is given as an example of 

 most important plant association, or the so-called symbiosis, 

 as the mycelium of the fungus is said to act as the absorber 

 of nutriment from organic matter instead of the usual root- 

 hairs, which fail to develop in such cases. It will be noticed 

 that Mr. Dupuy's potting-soil is not favorable to fungal devel- 

 opment, but I brought a specimen plant away for examination 

 of the roots. Under a microscope of high power it was seen 

 that no parasites infested the roots of the plants, and the root- 

 hairs were very abundant. This proves nothing against the 

 scientific theory, but it does seem to prove that the Ericas 

 have an adaptability not always suspected, and will grow per- 

 fectly in what might be considered unnatural conditions. The 

 same painstaking care shown in the culture of Heaths was 

 evident in all the plants on the place. There were fine dwarf 

 plants of Hydrangea Otaksa, well-grown Lilies, Genistas 

 (Cytisus), Azaleas, Spiraeas, Daisies and a number of beauti- 

 fully flowered Acacia armata, a plant of great distinction, 

 leading tocoveteousness. Mr. DupuyalsogrowsCarnationsand 

 hybrid Roses — Ulrich Brunner at the moment. Sweet Peas 

 were grown cleverly in pots, a device rather novel, but useful, 

 as they can be shifted about as space permits when the plants 

 now crowding are cleared out. 

 Elizabeth, N. J. J- N. Gerard. 



Farming on Vacant City Lots. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — On reading your editorial on the cultivation of the 

 vacant lots I was struck with the humanitarianism and practi- 

 cability of this plan to help the now almost helpless poor. 

 Apart from scientific aspects of the case, with which Garden 

 and FOREST chiefly has to do, the economics of such ques- 

 tions, particularly the relation of men to the soil, is a matter of 

 supreme importance, on a proper adjustment of which the 

 weal or woe of a country largely depends. 



This might be illustrated by the almost uniform prosperity 

 of settlers in new countries, where civilization barely begins, 

 but where land is easily accessible, contrasted with the con- 

 stantly recurring seasons of depression in the more densely 

 settled countries where civilization attains highest develop- 

 ment, but where land is not to be had except at exorbitant 

 prices. 



I would, therefore, urge the further discussion of this mat- 

 ter in the hope that, by a free exchange of opinion, a simple 

 and, therefore, practicable plan may be evolved whereby the 

 needy masses may be enabled to get access to the idle lands 

 on terms which, without recourse to charity, will afford a 

 proper recompense for their labor, security for their crops, and 

 work no injustice to the owners of legitimate investments. 



New York. Luther C. Sand. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Your editorial, " Farming on Vacant City Lots," is 

 timely and interesting. The educational side of the scheme 

 has a special interest for me, but chiefly in its politico- 

 economic aspects, for it will help to explode Malthusian falla- 

 cies about overpopulation, restricting immigration, regu- 

 lating hours of labor, limiting apprenticeship, and the like. 

 The earth is large enough and fertile enough for ten or twenty 

 times its present population, and the bringing together of idle 

 hands and idle lands will alleviate this horrible poverty that 

 festers in our great cities. 



The assertion that "anybody who wants work can find it*' 

 is utterly false ; I have " been there" myself. The Detroit plan 

 proves that a large number, at least, of the very poor will work 

 if they are given a chance at the land. This opportunity will 

 be worth infinitely more to them than all the charity that wealth 

 can offer. It will put them on their mettle and infuse into them 

 the independence of true manhood. 



Brooklyn, N. Y. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir,— It seems to me that had the writer of the editorial in 

 Garden and Forest given the same careful thought to the sug- 

 gestion regarding the cultivation of vacant-lot gardens that has 

 generally marked the discussion of technical subjects in that 

 paper, his conclusions would have been different. 



There is danger in this proposal ; the scheme in my 

 opinion is the entering wedge for land confiscation. Let the 

 masses once realize that with free access to land they can 

 make their own living; give them that free access in the 

 name of charity, and it will not be long before the philan- 

 thropic features of the case will be forgotten, and access to 

 land will be demanded as a matter of right, and questions of 

 title between the state and the individual will be subjected to 

 the same remorseless scrutiny and review as similar questions 

 between individuals are decided now. 



You see the danger to property owners ? Even now the 

 right of the landlord to ground-rent is being questioned, that 

 right which may be roughly defined as a privilege to appro- 

 priate a part of the earnings of the labor which must use the 

 land. Suppose lot owners allow the use of their land for a 

 few years without recompense— in other words, charitably 

 donate the rent to their tenants— a time must necessarily come 

 when rent will have to be collected or the lots vacated. Is it 

 likely that the people who have "squatted" on the property 

 for years will pay or quit without trouble ? Besides their un- 

 willingness to give up part of their earnings to the landowner, 

 is it not probable that their husbandry, presupposing it suc- 

 cessful, will have created a powerful public opinion antago- 

 nistic to the landowners, as such ? 



While it cannot be denied that some beneficial results have 

 to be credited to the experiment at its present stage, there can 

 be little doubt that these are due to exceptional circumstances. 

 I believe it is not claimed by its originators that the " potato- 

 patch plan " is a panacea ; and their moderation in this respect 

 is justified by every feature of the case. Nothing short of 

 renting the land at a fair valuation will enable the tenants to 

 maintain their self-respect ; and in case advances are made 

 for seeds, living expenses, etc., the security usual in such cases 

 should be given to the lender. No other plan will meet the 

 exigencies of the case and remove all fear in the future of a 

 dangerous spirit of independence among the classes whose 

 necessities are now the object of philanthropic solicitude. 



New York. Gregory Smith. 



Stephen Bell. 



Exhibitions. 

 Boston Flower Show. 



A T the exhibition of spring flowers given in Boston last 

 ■**- week by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society the three 

 most interesting features were, first, a collection of Persian 

 Cyclamens from the gardens of Mr. N. T. Kidder, of Milton. 

 The plants were exceptionally well flowered, with abundant 

 foliage and large clear-colored flowers of good substance. 

 Better-grown and more beautiful plants, perhaps, have never 

 been produced, although a large and evenly grown collection 

 of the same plants were shown by Mrs. B. P. Cheney, of 

 Wellesley. Second, a plant of the Japanese Crimson Rambler 

 Rose, two years from a graft, grown by Mr. Jackson Dawson, 

 of the Arnold Arboretum. The plant was five feet six inches 

 high and almost as deep through, covered to the pot with 

 healthy foliage and with more than a hundred clusters of 

 flowers. Whatever may be said of the beauty of this variety, 

 which some people think less attractive than the single white- 

 flowered Rosa multitlora, from which it has sprung, or than 

 the hybrid Dawson Rose, this specimen shows its possibilities 

 as a pot-plant for winter or spring decoration. The flowers 

 are of a glowing color, which outshone that of the Indian 

 Azaleas near it, and under electric light it was still more 

 lustrous. The society's silver medal was awarded to this 

 plant. The third striking feature was a well-grown plant 

 of the Australian Acacia Drummondii, about eight feet 

 high and five or six feet through, exhibited by Dr. Charles 

 Weld, of Brookline. This also received the society's silver 

 medal. Olher noticeable exhibits were the Catherine Mer- 

 met Roses shown by Mr. William H. Elliot, of Brighton, and 

 the fine hybrids by David Nevins, of Framingham, and a col- 

 lection of hardy shrubs forced at the Bussey Institution and 

 exhibited by Mr. Charles Dawson, who is exceptionally suc- 

 cessful in the management under glass of early spring hardy 

 flowers. Among these were Andromeda Japonica, A. tlori- 

 bunda, A. polifolia, A. speciosa. Daphne Cneorum, Leuco- 

 thoe Catesbsei and a peculiar Gorse, Genista Germanica. 



