March i, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



107 



in the autumn. The White Pine is no exception to tlie rule 

 that all the cone-bearing trees in the northern states, with the 

 exception perhaps of one or two kinds of little or no commer- 

 cial value, ripen their seeds in the autumn ; and the seeds of 

 all are scattered in nearly the same manner. The cones hang 

 on the trees until the seeds are distributed by means of the 

 winds. A plantation made with the seeds planted two 

 together, with spaces four or five feet apart, would be an 

 absolute failure. It is doubtful if twenty seedlings to the acre 

 would be produced by this method. No White Pine-seed 

 could germinate if it was covered with half an inch of soil, 

 and half an inch is a doubtful measurement when left to the 

 judgment of the ordinary planter. I speak thus positively be- 

 cause I speak from experience. There are 20,000 White Pine- 

 seeds in a pound, and on the very best land in the best pos- 

 sible condition, and sown by the most experienced workmen, 

 and protected from birds, I do not believe that it would be pos- 

 sible tor any one to raise 10,000 seedlings from 20,000 seeds. 

 5,000 would be a good stent, and 7,000 much above the aver- 

 age. 



White Pine-seeds, when gathered, should be put in paper 

 bags and laid away in a box or drawer until spring. A few 

 years ago I imported from Germany several hundredweight 

 of the seeds of this tree that had been exported from the 

 United States in the autumn of the previous year ; they 

 reached Waukegan before the opening of spring, and the 

 person for whom they were intended, not being able to 

 plant them, they were left on our hands. The following 

 spring, that is eighteen months after the seeds were gathered, 

 we sowed fifty pounds of it and it germinated perfectly. 

 Rather than to plant seeds it would be better, of course, to 

 take young trees from open places in the forests, where tliey 

 can be found in quantity, but it would be expensive to dig 

 them with balls of earth, and they are rarely found growing in 

 the sort of soil which adheres to the roots. The method of 

 covering the roots with puddle would be a much better and 

 cheaper method. 



The White Pine grows rapidly after the first few years, 

 although, on account of the delicacy of its foliage, it is un- 

 certain for the first two or three years, especially the first year, 

 as it is subject to damp off in rainy or cloudy weather and to 

 burn off in sunshine. However, in the moist climate of 

 Massachusetts, young plants might not suffer as much as they 

 do with us in Illinois, and the experiment would not be a very 

 expensive one ; but instead of two seeds to every twenty-five 

 square feet, as recommended by your correspondent, I would 

 advise the sowing of at least two pounds of seed to the acre, 

 and a larger amount even would be better. 



As to hiring men to prune forest-trees from the time they 

 are eii^ht feet high until they are of a size and age to make 

 clear lumber, my opinion is that it cannot be done with profit 

 to the planter. Fortunately this is not necessary. No better 

 or clearer lumber will ever be grown than the Michigan 

 pineries produced naturally forty years ago. "Plant thick 

 and thin quick," is as good advice to-day as it was a hundred 

 years ago. 



Larkspur, Cal. Robert Douglas. 



Exhibitions. 

 Carnations at Philadelphia. 



'T'HE feature of the monthly meeting of the Pennsylvania 

 -^ Horticultural Society, held on the 21st of February in Hor- 

 ticultural Hall, Philadelphia, was a display of Carnations. The 

 flowers were above the average in quality, some of the varie- 

 ties being particularly well grown. 



In A. M. Herr's exhibit the committee commended Grace 

 Darling, Daybreak, Aurora, Fred. Dorner, Annie Webb and 

 Louisa Porsch ; a vase of Golden Triumph won high praise 

 from the committee, and received general admiration. 

 Among choice flowers shown by Edward Swayne, Mrs. Fisher, 

 Daybreak and Lizzie McGowan were singled out for com- 

 mendation, and Aurora, Puritan and Thomas Cartledge received 

 favorable mention. 



Mr. Craig had a fine vase of the beautiful Edna Craig ; J. R. 

 Freeman and Puritan were also good. In a vase of seedlings 

 shown by G. F. Christie, Clifton Heights, a white and pink were 

 selected by the committee as promising. If these Carna- 

 tions continue as good after further testing they will certainly 

 hold a place among the best new varieties of the year. A vase 

 of Pearl in this collection was good, and Lizzie McGowan and 

 Hinze's White were also worthy of note. 



Herman Brushaber showed a fine specimen of the white 

 Cyclamen, a well-grown plant of fine habit and medium large 

 fiovvers. 



Arrangements were perfected at this meeting for the spring 

 exhibition to be held in March. The decorations will, as usual, 

 be under the management of Mr. Wescott. 



The Flower Show at Rose Hill Nurseries. 



nPHE seventh annual exhibition of Messrs. Siebrecht & Wad- 

 -•■ ley is now in progress at Rose Hill Nurseries, New Ro- 

 chelle, New York, having begun February 22d, to continue to 

 March 4th. The firm will take part in the exhibition of the 

 New York Florists' Club, to be held in Madison Square Garden 

 in May, and the change from the usual exhibit in this city has 

 therefore been made. 



Plants in greenhouses in various stages of development 

 naturally make a less imposing display than selected 

 plants in a hall arranged with a special view to effect, but 

 a visit to the nurseries is highly interesting and instructive. 

 The grounds comprise thirty acres, and there are fifty-two 

 greenhouses. As is well known, this firm are extensive 

 growers of Orchids, Roses and fine ornamental plants. Five 

 houses are devoted to Ferns alone, and twice as many to 

 Roses. In one of the Palm-houses specimens of Caryota urens 

 Dicksonia antarctica and Ptychosperma Alexandrre reached 

 the roof, eighteen feet above. Pyramids and standards of 

 the Bay-tree (Laurus nobilis) filled one house, and in another 

 Lilacs were in luxuriant bloom. In a large collection of Dra- 

 caenas were many unnamed seedlings which promise some 

 good distinct varieties. Woody canes of the Draca-na, grown 

 for this purpose in the nurseries of the firm at Trinidad, are 

 layered for propagation in a forcing-house. Lilies-of-the-valley, 

 in flower and in various stages of growth, filled several houses.' 

 One hundred and sixty thousand pips are used here durino- the 

 season. Besides a house of Jacqueminot Roses, Azaleas,"^ Hy- 

 drangeas, Lilies and Cytisus are being brought on for Easter. 

 _ The variegated Begonia B. metallica aurea attracted atten- 

 tion, and the bronze purple foliage and dark green veining of B. 

 Arthur Malet made these plants conspicuous in this class. A 

 new seedling Amaryllis from Trinidad, Mrs. James W. Water- 

 bury, showed a compact habit with clusters of from five to 

 seven flowers. Many of the Rose and Orchid houses indicated 

 the extensive trade done in cut flowers, only buds showing 

 among the leaves. The main exhibition house is 137 fee^t 

 long and is bright with color. Numerous plants of 

 Odontoglossum crispum Alexandras show this favorite in vary- 

 ing forms. Dendrobium crassinode Barberianum is a note- 

 worthy variety with orange throat and white petals tipped with 

 purple ; the colors are brighter, darker and more distinct than 

 in the type. D. nobile elegans is a pleasing new variety of rich 

 coloring darker than the type throughout. Epidendrum bi- 

 cornutum is especially delicate and pleasing, resemblin" 

 Phalsenopsis amabilis, but is smaller. Dendrochilum "\n- 

 macea, with fragrant racemes on spikes over a foot loiig, 

 Cattleya triana; alba, Coclogyne cristata and Laslia albida 

 bella were also shown in this house. A collection of 

 Orchids suggested for window-culture included L?elia an- 

 ceps, Cypripedium insigne and varieties, C. barbatum, C. 

 venustum, Epidendrum vitellianum, Crelogyne cristata and 

 Lycaste Skinneri. A distinct department is the flowering of 

 Orchids for the summer season at Newport, where there 

 is a branch establishment. 



Anthurium Chelsoni, a dark form of A. Andrianum, made 

 a favorable impression. A. Schertzerianum Wardi showed a 

 more erect stem and a longer and finer form than the type. 

 The spathe of a flower grown in a six-inch pot measured three, 

 and three-quarter inches across and five inches long. A. Roths- 

 childianum was also represented. An idea of the business 

 done in furnishing private greenhouses and conservatories was 

 given by a large house filled with several hundred decorative 

 foliage-plants just returned to the nurseries for treatment. 



Recent Publications. 



Onions for Profit. By T. Greiner. Published by W. Atlee 

 Burpee & Co., Philadelphia. 



This little book attempts to set forth in a clear wav what is 

 known as the " New Onion Culture," a method whicli is based 

 on the fact that Onion-seedlings endure transplanting better 

 than most vegetables. The crops can. therefore, be" started 

 under glass several weeks before the seed can be sown out-of- 

 doors, so that the crop matures much earlier. The size of the 

 bulbs under this treatment can be increased as well as the vield 

 per acre. The cultivation is made much easier and the task of 

 weeding is reduced to a minimum, since the ground can be 

 made clean before the plants are set out, and when the weeds 



