FeURUARY 22, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



95 



delicate tints of lilac-blue. This and White Perfection were of 

 the long-leaved kind. 



The purest white seen was in the exhibit of Vilmorin- 

 Andrieux et Cie., Paris. It was appropriately named Purity, 

 being perfect in its tone of white. The fiowers were of 

 good size, though not of the largest, the truss well placed amid 

 green leaves on purple stems. Many flowers of Mont Blanc, 

 in the same lot, were nearly of as pure a white, but some were 

 faintly blushed with pink, as were some good ones of this 

 name in the exhibit of William Bull, Chelsea, England. The 

 Avalanche, from Mr. Bull, was a large and beautiful white, 

 one of the best. Another good white, Filicina alba, was in the 

 exhibit of Henry Metle, Ouedlinburg. The plants were tall and 

 strong, abundant blooniers, flowers of fair size, and Fern- 

 leaved foliage. Other good strains in the sets from Paris were 

 Grand Rose and Grand Blanc Carne, both large-flowered, the 

 pale corolla of the latter with a flush of pink. In the exhibit of 

 Mr. Bull may also be mentioned Pink Beauty, a very hand- 

 some pink, with flowers of medium size, those on the lower 

 branches too much covered by leaves for the best effect ; 

 Comet, a showy red ; Fulgens, a bright red, with the margins 

 of the petals a litfle dotted with white, and slighdy of the punc- 

 tate order. 



In the exhibit of John Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, London, 

 were a number of good double-flowered kinds. Macros alba 

 plena showed pinkish white flowers and long leaves. Marmo- 

 rata plena was a double reddish white, the flowers prettily 

 splashed and colored with red or dark pink. The best red in 

 this collection, Chiswick Red, carried very large flowers of a 

 rich dark red, inclining to purple, the greenish eye encircled 

 with a narrow band of white. They were fine, thrifty plants, 

 with large leaves and prolific umbels. The same strain in the 

 lot of Farquhai & Co. was about as good. Crimson, sent by 

 Kelway & Son, Langport, England, was another very bright 

 red, and Vermilion, from Carter & Co., red, and a little punc- 

 tate. The Dark Red of Rupp & Son showed well. There 

 were several reds of the Kermesina sort, some quite coppery, 

 and with slight metallic reflections. These, with the salmon- 

 reds, carmines, scarlets, purples and other shades, showed the 

 multiplicity of tints into which the color of the original stock 

 had been varied. Dainty flowers of the punctate kind were 

 frequent, with two or three rows of white dots quite regularly 

 placed near their margins, but occasionally scattered. The 

 flowers were generally small, but abundant. 



There were blues and lavenders in most of the exhibits 

 which attracted much attention. It is barely ten years since 

 the blue race of Chinese Primroses with fringed corollas was 

 established, but the display here made shows that the color is 

 fixed, and comes true from seed. Carter & Co. showed two 

 excellent kinds, London Blue and Porcelain Blue, both large- 

 I flowered. Haage & Schmidt, of Erfurt, had fine ones labeled 

 ' Coerulea. Another was the Blueof Vilmorin-Andrieux & Cie., 

 with purple foliage. 



A few sets were seen of a different character, the flaked or 

 striated. They were mainly white-flowered, with lines and 

 spots of various shades of red, in form and size varying from 

 dots and lines to spots covering a petal or even half of the 

 corolla. The colors were mostly too irregularly placed to be 

 harmonious and pleasing, but may point the way to some 

 striking variegated forms. Some plants in the exhibit showed 

 possibilifies of yellow flowers by enlarging the yellow of the 

 throat. One in particular was noticed, Oculata lutea (Laing & 

 Son), a singular form of this character, having a large yellow 

 spot enclosed by a border of white or white tinged with red. 

 Even the foliage had a yellow cast. 



The most peculiar exhibit was that of Hillebrand & Brede- 

 meier, Italy. They were very distinct in foliage, with leaves 

 remarkably crisped, their lobules having the parenchyma 

 very full, so as to be formed into a frill or ruffle. To some 

 extent this characterizes the calyx also. The leaves are sym- 

 metrical in form, from oval to oblong or a little obovate in 

 some cases, their color varying from pale green to dark pin-ple. 

 They are beautiful-leaved plants, as handsome and decorative 

 in their way as are the fine-flowered kinds. The flowers are 

 generally single, mostly small, and often without the fimbri- 

 ated margin. One of the most crisped was Candidissima, 

 white-flowered and with purple foliage. Carnea has flesh-, 

 colored corollas, the yellow eye enlarged and star-shaped, and 

 the foliage green. A view of these plants led one to think that 

 the perfect Primrose would be one combining the crisped 

 leaves of the Italian growers with the fine flowers seen in the 

 collections from northern Europe. 



Too much praise can hardly be given to Mr. John Thorpe 

 for the cultural skill which has brought forvvard this immense 

 collection in such uniform health and vigor. 



Englewood, Chicago, 111. £■■ /• -nlli. 



The Forest. 



The Forests and the Army. 



'X*HE establishment of five national parks by acts of Con- 

 -•- gress, and the setting aside of six reservations of forest- 

 lands by the proclamation of the President, covering 3,252,360 

 acres, necessitates the adoption of some well-defined metliod 

 for their care and protection. The reservation of forest-lands 

 surrounding the head-waters of our great rivers is an impor- 

 tant gain and a most beneficial act ; but unless some plan is 

 matured at once for their go vernment and protection, the trees 

 are liable at any time to be destroyed by fire or the axe of the 

 plunderer. Requisition has already been made on the army 

 for the protection of the parks, and it is to the army again that 

 we must turn for the preservation of these new reservations 

 at least until Congress can find the time to pass some law like 

 the Paddock bill. Senate, 3,235. Until suitable laws are en- 

 acted it is evident that the. army must be our chief reliance- 

 and even under so comprehensive a measure as the Paddock 

 bill the assistance of the army would often be needed. Bn'o-a- 

 dier-General Ruger, of the Department of California, under 

 date of September 8, 1891, writes : " In view of the probability 

 that for convenience, if not from the necessity of the case, 

 troops will for some time to come be employed to protect 

 from damage the large tracts of country like the national parks, 

 set aside for specific objects, it is desirable that general neces- 

 sary rules applicable for all the parks should be made, prefer- 

 ably by statutes, with suitable penalties for infringements, and 

 that the powers of the troops employed in the enforcement of 

 rules for the protection of the parks be more clearly defined." 



Even should suitable forest-laws be enacted, the question 

 arises. Would it not be well for at least some portion of the 

 army to have a knowledge of the general principles of forest- 

 management ? If this is desirable it can be accomplished in no 

 better way than by the introduction of text-books on forestry 

 and instruction on that subject in the post schools. By general 

 orders from headquarters of the army, dated October 7, 1890, 

 the methods of management and instruction in these schools 

 were left to the discretion of post-commanders under such 

 special instructions as department-commanders might deem 

 essential, and the latter were intrusted with the duty of the 

 selection of text-books. The general sentiment of the'officers 

 directly interested in this matter, as well as of those respond- 

 ing to the circular of inquiry, is in favor of a uniform course 

 of studies prescribed by the War Department under a general 

 system and with fixed rules for exemptions and rewards, and 

 for qualified teachers, to be suitably remunerated. That the 

 maintenance of a post-library, containing a judicious selection 

 of interesting and instructive books, is a positive benefit to the 

 enlisted men and becomes an important factor in improving 

 the morale of the army, is too evident a proposition to need 

 argument. * 



Some of the results of Lieutenant Reber's non-commissioned 

 officers' school at Fort Meyer, Virginia, are interesting. He 

 regrets the lack of proper text-books, and then goes on to give 

 an example of work done. Hasty sketching was explained at 

 full length, and detailed instruction given in the use of the 

 various topographical signs, use of instruments and plotting of 

 a hasty survey. Then the class was divided into parties and 

 sent into the field equipped with box and prismatic compasses, 

 and the road in the vicinity of the post surveyed and plotted. 

 The various maps were then condensed into one large map by 

 two members of the class. f Although a majority of the men 

 had never before seen a compass, the work proved most sat- 

 isfactory. Here we see what can be accomplished with a class 

 of ignorant men by an able and interested teacher. (2uoting 

 again from Lieutenant Reber's report, he says : "The unques- 

 tioned necessity of a larger scope in their instruction being 

 admitted, I can see no better way than to unite the non-com- 

 missioned officers of each battalion into a class under a compe- 

 tent instructor and to follow a course prescribed by the War 

 Department." 



If the care of the forests on the public domain is to be as- 

 signed to a portion of the army, why may not the War Depart- 

 ment include the study of forest-conditions in the larger scope 

 of instruction ? It would be a subject likely to interest many 

 of the men, especially if it were known that some forestry work 

 would probably be a part of their duties. It has been said in 

 some quarters that the soldiers object to the work assigned 

 them of protecting our public parks. I have yet to hear of any 

 well-grounded proof of this report. 



Whatever may 1)0 done respecting the army, there is impcra- 



* Report of Adjutant-General J. C. Kelton,' October i, 

 t Report, March 23, 1891. 



