176 



Garden and Forest. 



[NuMfifiR 269. 



spring comparatively easy. The cultivation of flowers 

 there is consequently now an important and growing in- 

 dustry, enormous quantities of all kinds being distributed 

 from thence to the principal towns in Europe, and more 

 especially to France and the United Kingdom. Hitherto 

 comparatively little glass has been used, the principal 

 plants cultivated being such as grow in the open air and 

 flower early, such being Anemones, Narcissi, Roses, Tulips, 

 Hyacinths, Freesias, Carnations, Pinks, iMarguerites, Al- 

 lium, Gladioli, etc. The Acacias, which luxuriate in some 

 of the districts on the Riviera, are made to supply an enor- 

 mous quantity of flowers annually, tons of flower-branches 

 of A. dealbata being distributed by rail almost daily in 

 January and February, the price being about two pounds a 

 hundredweight. A. cultriformis, A. floribunda and A. longi- 

 folia are also grown largely. Several species of Eucalyptus, 

 particularly E. robustus and E. globulus, are cultivated for 

 the sake of their flowers, the heavily laden branches being 

 cut and sent to market, where they find a ready sale. A 

 list of all the more important plants grown for market on 

 the Riviera will be published with the paper in the journal 

 of the society. Many of the plants which are wild, or have 

 become naturalized there, are made the source of a consid- 

 erable revenue, such being Anemone fulgens and A. coro- 

 naria, Iberis Gibraltarica, Violets, Lachenalia, Mignonette, 

 Arctotis aspera, etc. 



Roses are grown everywhere on the Riviera, railway 

 banks, houses, fences, tree-stumps, and all other suitable 

 places being utilized for them, and there is abundant de- 

 mand for all their flowers.^ Those kinds of which Safrano 

 and the Banksian may be taken as the type are most fa- 

 vored, as their long buds are easily packed and keep intact 

 longer, and these varieties flower in winter when the 

 warmth is scarcely sufficient for such sorts as Lamarque 

 and Gloire de Dijon. Marechal Neil is also largely grown, 

 but only as a pot-plant, to be started early under glass. The 

 flowers are sent by rail at favored rates, and they are deliv- 

 ered in London in less than forty-eight hours and in about 

 half that time in Paris. Monsieur Vilmorin referred to the 

 valuable work done by Mr. Hambury in his garden at Men- 

 tone, where he gets together and cultivates all possible 

 kinds of plants, which any one may inspect and turn the 

 knowledge thus gained to practical account. 



London. W. WutSOn, 



Cultural Department. 



Notes on Varieties of Raspberries. 



THIRTY years ago the principal Raspberries in cultivation 

 were the Hudson River Antwerp, Brinkle's Orange, Belle 

 de Fontenay, Falstaff and Purple Cane. Besides a few Black 

 Caps, the Hudson River Antwerp was the principal berry to be 

 found in the New York markets, the finer varieties which re- 

 quire special protection during the winter being only grown 

 tor family use. The introduction of the Philadelphia about 

 the year 1864 encouraged the hope that a productive and hardy 

 red variety had been secured which was adapted to general 

 market use, and by means of extensive advertising it was 

 widely planted. It proved hardy and productive, according to 

 the claim, although of rather disappointing quality to people 

 of exacting taste, but it supplied a want among the masses at 

 prices which they could afford to pay. 



The introduction of this plant was truly the beginning of the 

 boom in Raspberry-culture, and its success stimulated the 

 production of new varieties and the bringing forward of old 

 ones whose merits, it was claimed, had been overlooked. One 

 of these, the Franconia, was tested extensively, but it was 

 found adapted only to limited areas, and was no hardier than 

 others of its class. Antwerps seem to thrive only along the 

 Hudson River, while the Philadelphia appeared at home 

 everywhere. The awakened desire for something earlier and 

 better soon brought forth the Highland Hardy, Rhode Island, 

 Brandywine, Reliance, Early Prolific, Hansel. Elm City, Clark, 

 Lindley, Herstein, Sanders, Crimson Beauty, Superb, Lost 

 Rubies, Hornet, Montclair, Cuthbert, Marlborough, Turner 

 and many more among the red kinds, with Gunargua, 

 Roclielle and Shaffer's Colossal among the purples ; Doolittle, 

 Seneca, Davison's Thornless, Souhegan, Miami, Mammoth 

 Cluster, Ohio, Carman, Ada, Gregg, Progress and others 



among the blacks, and still they come year after year. Many 

 of the red ones named were larger and better than the Phila- 

 delphia, but they are adapted only to special localities, and, 

 with the exception of Superb and Montclair, they were not en- 

 tirely hardy. 



The Cuthbert, soon after its introduction, was disseminated 

 widely by means of extensive advertising, although it was a 

 late berry. The prominence given to its other qualities put 

 this fact in the background, and it has been, perhaps, the most 

 popular of red berries for some years. The Marlborough, an 

 earlier berry, was introduced to meet the objection to the 

 Cuthbert, and has since then been largely planted, and the two 

 varieties have been the only ones to make any excitement 

 since the days of the Philadelphia. Neither of them ranks with 

 Clark, Antwerp, Franconia or Brinkle's Orange in quality. 

 Caroline is a fair substitute for the latter in quality and color. 

 Though undersized, it is productive, delicate in flavor and 

 hardy, but neither of these berries is adapted for other than 

 family use. The widespread prevalence of galls and knots on 

 the roots of the Cuthbert are beginning to tell against its popu- 

 larity. The disease may trouble other red varieties, but if so, 

 it is not so noticeable. The Marlborough, too, seems to be 

 diseased also, although at the last meeting of the New Jersey 

 State Horticultural Society there was a report from a field of 

 this variety which had been planted ten years, and is still pro- 

 ductive and promising. I have been compelled to abandon 

 Marlborough, and have reduced the number of my Cuthberts, 

 not only because of disease, but partly because the berries are 

 too acid for my taste. I have increased my plantation of 

 Montclair because I like the berry and the plant is well adapted 

 to my soil and suits our market. It was troubled a few years 

 ago by a fungus, but I have hopes that the Bordeaux mixture 

 will, prevent its reappearance. Among recently introduced 

 kinds are Early Prize and Early Prolific, sentoutby Mr. Thomp- 

 son, of Virginia. They are productive and of fair quality, but 

 too small, and the plants reproduce themselves inordinately. 



Among the Black Caps I have found no great advance for 

 tliirty years. Doolittle, Davison and Souhegan liave not been 

 surpassed. Mammoth Cluster was a little larger than its pre- 

 decessors, and the Gregg larger still, so that in size it leads all 

 the others. It is deficient, however, in quality. Kansas is no 

 better than Gregg, while Turner, Progress and Lovett's are no 

 better than many others. All the Black Caps make a brave 

 show in the first crop, after which the berries diminish in size 

 very generally. If we could secure a berry with the quality of 

 Souhegan or Carman and the size of Gregg, with perfect hardi- 

 ness, we should have all that can be reasonably hoped for. 

 Perhaps some of the new candidates will fulfill this require- 

 ment ; at all events I am confident that this perfect berry will 

 come sooner or later. None of the small fruits have been so 

 neglected by scientific hybridizers as the Raspberry, and none 

 offer a better field for experiment. If some of our agricultural 

 experiment stations were to attack this problem with a definite 

 purpose and breed for certain well-known characteristics, 

 there is little doubt that progress would be made. 



Among the novelties offered now is Superlative, a foreign 

 variety, which EUwanger & Barry pronounce hardy in Roches- 

 ter, and a great advance on all existing sorts of this class. 

 Royal Chruch, offered by C. A. Green, is a large, handsome 

 berry of American origin, wliich also is highly praised, but 

 which still needs the test of time. Some of our old varieties 

 may have a new value if the copper sulphate will rid them of 

 the rust and blight which affect their foliage. It may be that 

 the lack of hardiness in winter in some varieties is due to the 

 weakening by disease in summer, and therefore the spraying 

 nozzle may help to give us hardy plants. T,r.,,. 



Montclair, N.J. £■• WtlltamS.^ 



A Summer Greenhouse. 



BY a summer greenhouse I do not mean the usual glass- 

 house, though that may be made attractive all summer 

 with blooming Gloxinias, Achimenes, Tuberous Begonias and 

 other plants. I refer to a cheaper structure that any one can 

 build. While many plants require protection from the sun 

 during the summer, the shade of trees is usually unsatisfac- 

 tory. The seeds of coniferous trees cannot be successfully 

 grown without shade. Celery-plants need shade, and Violets 

 carried over summer for winter-blooming are much more 

 healthy when kept in pots in a shady place than when planted 

 out in full sunshine. In this latitude even the Zonal Gera- 

 niums do better in pots in a shady place, for while at the north 

 these Geraniums are the best of bedding-plants, they are un- 

 satisfactory here ; our summer deluges spoil the flowers, and 

 the hot sun destroys the foliage. 

 A dense uniform shade is always objectionable for plants 



