March 22, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



137 



proof of greater benefit from the rain which falls, owing to the 

 cultivation of the land. 



When Kansas and Neljraska were comprised in Indian Ter- 

 ritory the upland was covered with Buffalo Grass, which " shed 

 the rain like a shingled roof "^^a common expression in those 

 days. Now there are millions of acres under the plow, and 

 the water that ran off in the "draws" is mainly absorbed. If 

 one inch of rainfall is equal to one hundred tons per acre, we 

 can hardly compute the amount of water now saved that was 

 formerly lost. 



I well remember seeing the school-book the writer speaks 

 of. It had a picture of an immense herd of buffaloes wading 

 up to their humps in tall grass. It did not agree with my idea 

 of a desert then, and I had no reason to change my mind after 

 exploring it. The land immediately west of the Missouri River 

 has undoubtedly been fertile for generations. I planted over 

 three million forest-trees in one county in Kansas, and so have 

 had some experience in that state. If the writer had examined 

 the land further west thoroughly, the iron bands would not be 

 equal to holding him to his present opinion. I have investi- 

 gated this matter carefully for many years, and have convinced 

 myself that west of the cultivated districts, both east and west 

 of the mountains, the country is becoming perceptibly drier. 

 We cannot prove this by the grasses, as they have changed 

 wonderfully since I saw them first, over forty years ago, when 

 the buffaloes were roaming in immense herds unmolested. A 

 close examinafion in many places shows that the timber is not 

 making as thrifty growth as in the past, or, rather, that the 

 growth is becoming more stunted, for there is little that can be 

 called thrifty. 



I will take one of many cases to prove that this section of the 

 country is becoming drier, and this since the iron bands were 

 laid across the continent. The western Juniper, a tree similar 

 to the Red Cedar, but not red-hearted, occupies the driest land 

 on which trees are found to grow in Colorado, New Mexico 

 and Arizona. I have made a special study of this tree in the 

 latter territory. Here were belts, miles upon miles in length 

 and several miles in width, where these Junipers, in hundreds 

 of thousands, germinated their seeds and produced trees in 

 abundance up to forty years ago. Since that time no new 

 trees have been produced, although the old trees are matur- 

 ing seeds in immense quantities. These I have examined 

 closely and find their germinating qualities perfect. Fires 

 may be said to have an influence in producing this result, but 

 a careful examination shows no signs of fires during that time, 

 and fires of a half century ago could be detected on the old 

 trees in that climate. Facts like these should be convincing, 

 and it is certain that the interior of the continent is gradually 

 becoming drier. 



During the month of August, 1871, Thomas Meehan, Dr. 

 John A. Warder and I measured a petrified stump in the pet- 

 rified forest near Fairplay, Colorado, over eleven feet in diam- 

 eter. From pieces broken off it appeared more like a Sequoia 

 than any other tree ; no tree eleven inches in diameter could 

 be grown there now. With water in abundance the same re- 

 sults could again probably be accomplished. 

 Larkspur, Cal. Robert Dotiglas. 



\_ Exhibitions. 



Spring Show of the Pennsylvania Horticultural 

 Society. 



AT the spring flower show in Philadelphia, last week, the 

 staging was almost entirely dispensed with, and Horficul- 

 tural Hall became in effect a garden, with the plants grouped 

 naturally on the floor. The only exceptions to this arrange- 

 ment were some fine specimens of Palms, Ferns, Pandanus, 

 etc., on pedestals, either as parts of the decoration of the 

 hall, or as the centre of groups of exhibition plants, so as 

 to give a mound-shaped form to the collection. The decora- 

 tions were harmonious, not excessive, consisting chiefly of 

 bamboo arches, rising from the floor to the gallery and 

 wreathed with Wild Smilax. 



As in former exhibitions, the collections of Miss Baldwin, 

 Mr. Drexel and Mr. Childs were drawn upon for many of their 

 finest plants. Nearly allthe specimens on columns were con- 

 tributed by Miss Baldwin, and her gardener, WilHam Joyce, 

 received much praise for such plants as Pritchardia Pacifica, 

 the tall Cocos Weddelliana, which showed that this plant was 

 quite as attractive when its elegant leaves spring from a stem 

 a yard high as it is as more commonly seen, and many more. 

 On the stage, John Westcott, who had charge of the decora- 

 tions and arrangement of the whole, had massed many fine 

 Palms and Dracjenas, with well-flowered Azaleas, Acacias and 



Cytisus, and masses of Cinerarias and Lilies from Westcott's 

 Laurel Hill Nurseries. In front of the stage, and extending its 

 entire length, were nearly two hundred Cactuses, Agaves and 

 similar plants of sucli rarity, value and interest as can be found 

 nowiiere else, perhaps, in the country, except in the collection 

 of Mr. A. Blanc. 



A noteworthy group was that arranged by Thomas Long, 

 Mr. Drexel's gardener, with its superb specimens of Latania 

 rubra, Pritchardia grandis, Geonoma Seemannii, Phenicopho- 

 rium Sechellarum, Livistona aurea and many other plants 

 of regal beauty. The collection which Mr. Huster brought 

 from Girard College had for its centre-piece a superb Kentia, 

 surrounded by many other Palms and plants distinguished for 

 the grace and color of their foliage. Near the border of the 

 group were four large pots of Bletia Tankervillre, the flowers 

 of which stood out in striking relief against the dark foliage. 

 Each of these had a dozen flower-spikes some four or five feet 

 high. Very rarely do we see such a group of Ferns as those 

 from Mr. Drexel's collection, which were all of the first size 

 and in perfect condition to the very tip of every frond. An im- 

 mense Gleichenia Mendelii, which was probably five feet in 

 diameter, and whose arching fronds quite concealed the pot in 

 which it was grown, stood on a raised column for the centre- 

 piece, and around it were equally well-grown specimens of G. 

 dichotoma, G. flabellata, Adiantum Williamsi, A. decorum, 

 A. cuneatum, the crested form of Microlepia hirta, Nephro- 

 lepis davallioides, Davalliaaffinis and several others. The last- 

 named, D. affinis, is a Fern whose good qualities are hardly 

 appreciated, since it not only can be grown into an admirable 

 exhibition plant, but it is equally useful for ordinary decora- 

 tion. It transports well and endures much neglect. 



Roses and Carnations, together with Orchids from Edwin 

 Lonsdale and William Joyce, were the particular attractions in 

 the foyer. The Roses were admirable. Nothing more beau- 

 tiful can be imagined than the blooms of Madame Caroline 

 Testout, which were sent here by Ernst Asmus. We have 

 described this Rose before, but too much cannot be said in 

 favor of the clearness of its color and the other good qualities 

 which make it the best of pink Roses. John Burton again showed 

 a large cluster of his fine new American Belle, a sport from 

 American Beauty. All the old Roses of merit were admirably 

 grown, and one new to Philadelphia was shown by Mr. John N. 

 May, of Summit, New Jersey. This is the hybrid Tea Rose, 

 Mrs. Whitney, which won the silver cup at New York last au- 

 tumn. It is a bright pink of excellent habit, with long well- 

 formed buds, and it has the additional merit of being one of the 

 most fragrant of Roses. John Gardiner showed some very fine 

 flowers of the old Madan)e Clemence Joigneaux, a Rose which 

 was sent out thirty years ago, but, like many others, has been 

 put aside for new ones which are no better. It was sent out in 

 1861 by Liabaud, who was the originator of Madame Gabriel 

 Luizet and many other good Roses. 



Prizes for Roses were awarded to Charles E. Meehan, Joseph 

 Heacock, Edwin Lonsdale, John N. May, Thomas Monahan, 

 J. Kift & Son and Fred. Ehret. 



The exhibition of Carnations was, as usual, large and good. 

 Among the white varieties Lady Maud took the first prize over 

 Lizzie McGowan. The plant has size and substance and per- 

 fect form, and is a clear white, with no suspicion of yellow. 

 Portia still holds its own among its scarlet varieties, and has 

 everything to commend it except size. Buttercup is still in the 

 lead as a yellow flower, or, rather, as the best substitute for 

 that color, since a pure yellow has not yet appeared. Edna 

 Craig, by universal consent, is the best light pink, but for a very 

 pale shade Daybreak is worthy of notice. It is a first-class va- 

 riety and of a color which may almost be called a blush-white. 

 The best crimson exhibited was the Pride of Kennett. A very 

 interesting exhibit was one made by W. R. Shelmire, of Ches- 

 ter County, consisting entirely of seedlings from the variety 

 Caesar. It is claimed that all the seedlings from this variety 

 come double, and of the twenty shown here some were of 

 great merit. Ophelia is a large new Pink raised by Edward 

 Swayne, of Kennett Square, which took the Craig Cup as the 

 best seedling of the year. The flower is of good size and habit, 

 but lacks fragrance. On the second day of the exhibition Mr. 

 Frederic Dorner, of Lafayette, Indiana, showed some seedlings 

 of the finest quality, to three of which were awarded tlie Went- 

 wortii silver medals for superior seedlings which have never 

 been offered for sale. Tiie great needs now, from a florist's 

 standpoint, seem to be a clear yellow, a bright scarlet larger 

 than Portia, and a crimson larger than Pride of Kennett. 



Besides the persons previously mentioned, prizes for plants 

 of special merit were awarded to Robert Craig, F.G. Cox,W. K. 

 Harris, John Hughes and H. A. Dreer. 



It seemed a misfortune that so good an exhibition should not 



