April 26, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



,87 



Such a frame is not only simple and inexpensive and expe- 

 dites the growth of the plants sufficiently, but it is also a great 

 saver of labor. Everything can be seen at a glance andean 

 be attended to rapidly. Where seeds are sown in patches 

 around the garden it requires dme and vigilance to watch 

 them all, and many failures are certain. An immense number 

 of seedling-plants can be disposed of in an ordinary garden, 

 and they can be dibbled out rather more rapidly than seed- 

 lings sown in the borders can be properly thinned out. In 

 transplanting seedlings the screens, cloth-covered, as men- 

 tioned above, will be found very useful and labor-saving. 

 When one has little time to devote to the garden and is not 

 over-fond of work, devices to save time and labor enable him 

 to keep up the garden without being hurried. The seedlings 

 should be carefully lifted, separated and firmly planted, the 

 earth being especially firmed about the roots. They should 

 be well watered and mulched with well-rotted manure, and 

 then a cloth-covered screen should be tilted over the bed and 

 allow it to remain till the first shower begins. In this way the 

 plants are established with the least possible care and atten- 

 tion. <5- V r 



Elizabeth, N.J. /• ^V. Cr. 



Chrysanthemums.— Plants for specimens should now be in 

 six or seven inch pots, and plunged in sand or coal-ashes in 

 cold frames. About the middle of May they should be ready 

 for the final shift into ten or twelve inch pots, in which they 

 will remain and bloom. The soil should be moderately rich 

 loam. If light, it should be packed firmly ; if heavy, lightly, 

 but always evenly. It is well to keep the plants for a few days 

 in frames, or until new roots are formed, when they may be 

 plunged outdoors up to the rim of the pots. As they will re- 

 main until autumn, it is better to place them three to four 

 feet apart, so as to give room for easy passage among them to 

 do the work of stopping, staking and tying. As the drainage 

 should at all times be free, some means must be adopted to 

 prevent the entrance of earth-worms from below, or they will 

 work the soil in among the drainage, and finally close the vent. 

 Slates or slabs of wood, often used, are objectionable, since 

 they do not freely admit of air, or allow of the passage of 

 water. Something which will carry the base of the pot well clear 

 of the soil is needed, and this we do by placing under them 

 rings of earthenware, made by a local manufacturer. What- 

 ever success I have had I attribute as much to this little device 

 as to any other cause. Stopping, or taking out the tips of the 

 shoots, should be done every few days, care being always 

 taken to keep the plants well balanced. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. H. 



Maxillaria Harrisoniae.— This excellent Orchid blooms very 

 freely during the winter and early spring months. All the 

 parts of the flower are large and fleshy, and the two lower 

 sepals are joined and elongated at the base, forming a sort of 

 spur. The sepals and petals are creamy white, the lip purple 

 and yellowish, with numerous lines of bright red in the inte- 

 rior. There are several varieties of M. Harrisoniae, differing 

 from the species mostly in the color of the flowers, which in 

 every case have a slight pleasing odor. A large number of 

 generic synonyms exist, of which Lycaste is more common 

 than any other, although it is many years since Reichenbach 

 referred the plant to the genus Bifrenaria. M. Harrisoniae and 

 its varieties make most satisfactory progress in the cool 

 Orchid-house, the low temperature and moist atmosphere of 

 which seems to suit them. Forty-five degrees, Fahrenheit, is 

 a good average night temperature in winter, and strong sun- 

 shine should be guarded against at all times. A good supply 

 of water is always necessary, and the drainage material should, 

 therefore, be ample. The plants may be potted in rough peat- 

 fibre, mixed with a little lumpy charcoal, any time after the 

 flowering season. 



Cambridge, Mass. M. Barker. 



Tomatoes. — It is surprising that so few people are aware that 

 yellow-fleshed tomatoes have a more delicate flavor than any 

 others. Even in the large markets the yellow varieties are 

 rarely seen, and yet, if they had not the merit of superior 

 quality, it would be worth while to grow them for the attrac- 

 tive appearance they make when sliced together with the red- 

 fleshed sorts. The Shah and Golden Queen are good yellow 

 varieties for this purpose. Among the"red varieties one must 

 be very fastidious if he is not satisfied with Ignotum, Living- 

 ston, Potomac, Brandywine, Mayflower, or Thorburn's Long 

 Keeping. Ponderosa bears a huge fruit, which will, no doubt, 

 win prizes at fairs, but probably it will not be the most profita- 

 ble kind for market, because its color is not desirable, and 



then it is not always symmetrical. A purple tinge, such as is 

 found in Ponderosa or Mikado, is a drawback to the popularity 

 of any tomaio. 



Geneva, N. Y. C. E. Hutltl. 



Correspondence. 



Interesting Points near Boston. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Will you kindly name a few places of much natural 

 beauty which can be reached in half-holiday excursions from 

 Boston ? 



Bridgewater, Mass. C. 



[There are so many charming scenes in every direction 

 about the New England metropolis that it would be diffi- 

 cult to give a complete list. With only one half-holiday a 

 week, it would take considerably more than one season to 

 cover the ground. One who has the fortune to possess a 

 report of the Metropolitan Park Commission can hardly do 

 better than to follow its guidance in selecting places to be 

 visited, and the contour map accompanying the report 

 gives an excellent idea of the topography of the country. 

 One of the best ways to see the region about Boston is to 

 join the Appalachian Club, which makes pedestrian trips 

 in the neighborhood every Saturday. These trips are very 

 carefully planned, thoughtful arrangements for the comfort 

 and convenience of the members are made, and unusual 

 pains are taken to obtain information concerning the pic- 

 turesque and historic features of the places visited. 



Among the most interesting half-holiday trips is one to 

 the Lynn Woods, going by street-car from the railway-sta- 

 tion in Lynn and then walking in any direction through 

 the well-marked foot-paths, or taking a drive in the park 

 carriage that connects with the cars at the entrance to the 

 woods. An excellent map of the Lynn Woods was in- 

 cluded in this year's report of the Lynn Park Commission. 

 Several successive half-holidays might easily be spent in 

 roaming through this noble pleasure-ground, without dan- 

 ger of repetition. 



The same may be said of the IVIiddlesex Fells, which may 

 be pleasantly reached by steam-cars, either to IMedford, 

 West ]\Iedford, Winchester, Stoneham, Maiden, Fells Sta- 

 tion or Melrose, from each of which different portions of 

 this beautiful wild region are accessible. The most inter- 

 esting section of the Fells lies in the eastern part, and the 

 best way to visit this is by way of Fells Station, on the 

 western division of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The 

 beautiful cascades are only a few minutes' walk from this 

 station, but these run full only during the wet months, and 

 are best seen in the spring-time. A walk across the rough 

 country to the westward takes one to Spot Pond and Bear 

 Hill ; the latter is the highest eminence in the region to 

 the westward of Spot Pond, and is best reached from 

 Stoneham. 



Another interesting trip is to Woburn, by rail, for a ram- 

 ble among the wild hills toward Lexington, on the west- 

 erly side of Horn Pond. The famous Waverly Oaks, lying 

 between Belmont and Waltham, are but a few minutes' 

 walk from the Waverly Station, on the Fitchburg Railroad. 

 Those who visit the Oaks should not fail to see the Beaver 

 Brook cascade, celebrated by Lowell in one of his most 

 charming poems. It is only a few minutes' walk from the 

 Oaks up the road leading to Lexington, called Mill Street. 



Prospect Hill, in Waltham, is the finest outlook point 

 west of Boston, and in height it ranks next to the Blue 

 Hills. A large tract here has recently been taken by the 

 city of Waltham for a public park. Prospect Hill is but a 

 short walk from the Fitchburg station in Waltham. A 

 pleasant stroll across country is to the neighboring eminence 

 of Bear Hill, to the south-westward, and thence southerly 

 along the line of Stony Brook, a large portion of the valley 

 of which belongs to the Cambridge Water Supply reserve, 

 and thence south-westerly to Doublet Hill, in the town of 

 Weston, where glorious views up and down the valley of 

 the Charles are obtained. 



There are numerous interesting excursions to be had on 



