June 7, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



245 



limbed trees, which stand compactly together. I had no ap- 

 ples, and he had a surplus. I do not advocate close planting 

 of orchards, but I feel confident that a few hives of bees do 

 great service besides making honey. 



Of course, it is always imwise to uncover Strawberries or 

 Grapes too early in the season. It is far better to let the mulch 

 remain at least until the weather is quite beyond any danger 

 of freezing. In fact, we cover Strawberries, primarily, not 

 against the cold, but against alternating heat and cold. The 

 Strawberry-plant is hardy, but a few successive thawings and 

 freezings will loosen its roots. „ „ 



Clinton, N. Y. E. P. Powell. 



Ornamental Currants. 



THE Red Currant of our gardens, covered with ripe fruit, 

 is, perhaps, quite as ornamental as many shrubs 

 which are cultivated merely for showy effect. But it is 

 a dwarf plant, seldom carrying its fruit in a conspicuous posi- 

 tion, and often having it well concealed by abundant foliage. 

 The Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) of gardens is by no means 

 a showy or ornamental shrub, and although much grown in 

 Europe for its edible fruit, it does not find generalfavor in this 

 country. When bruised the leaves give out a powerful res- 

 inous, aromatic odor, relished by some people, but disagree- 

 able to others. These two species of Currant are the only 

 ones which are generally cultivated for their fruit. 



There are, however, several species of an ornamental char- 

 acter which are familiar to us through frequent use in gar- 

 dens. The so-called Tasteless Mountain Currant (Ribes al- 

 pinum) is said to be cultivated in some parts of Europe for its 

 fruit, improved forms having both red and black fruits of a 

 superior flavor. But although the wild type, as grown at the 

 Arnold Arboretum, bears an abundance of handsome scarlet 

 fruit, which persists throughout the latter part of summer and 

 into the early autumn, it is so insipid that even the birds leave 

 it untouched as long as they can get food of higher flavor. 

 The species is most interesting on account of the extreme 

 earliness of the flowers and leaves. The flowers are of a light 

 yellowish green and are not themselves conspicuous, but with 

 the light green leaves, which are almost of the same color 

 when unfolding, they give the plants an early verdurous aspect, 

 which is approached by few other shrubs at the same season. 

 What appears to be just the same plant has been received 

 here under the name of Ribes saxatile. Seedlings sometimes 

 show variability in the abundance and time of bloom and size 

 of fruit. It is interesting to note that this, unlike most Cur- 

 rants, appears to be dioecious, the flowers on one plant pro- 

 ducing pollen only, those on another bearing the fruit. The 

 barren plants appear the most vigorous and green in early 

 spring. A native of northern Europe and Siberia, the hardi- 

 ness of the species is unquestionable. 



As an ornamental plant the Buffalo or Missouri Currant 

 (Ribes aureum) is probably better and more widely known 

 than any other ; the showy deep yellow sepals, the crown of 

 red petals, and pleasant clove-pink fragrance making it a gen- 

 eral favorite. Some attention has also been paid to its cultiva- 

 tion for fruit, and as a result we have the Crandall Currant, a 

 fruit which has not yet gained general popular favor, although 

 liked by some persons. 



An eminent English authority, in a standard work on horti- 

 culture, has described the fruit as "yellow, seldom black, and 

 of exquisite flavor"; but, as it is known here, the fruit when 

 mature is usually purplish black, more rarely yellowish or yel- 

 lowish only before maturity, and although the flavor is varia- 

 ble, and somefimes somewhat sprightly, there is usually a 

 mawkish quality about it which very few persons relish. Yet 

 there are said to be forms, growing in its native country in the 

 western part of our continent, that bear fruit which is quite 

 palatable. 



There are several so-called varieties of the Missouri Cur- 

 rant sold in nurseries, but all have distinctly three-lobed, or 

 more rarely, and less markedly, five-lobed smooth leaves. 

 There is no question of the hardiness of this rather tall-grow- 

 ing Currant. 



The more beautiful red-flowering Currant, Ribes san- 

 guineum, of northern California and of Oregon, without pro- 

 tection, is not hardy, unless under peculiar conditions. To 

 insure a crop of bloom its branches should be bent over to the 

 ground and well covered. The plants left exposed here during 

 the past winter had almost every bud and branch destroyed. 

 Although requiring unusual care, this species is well worth 

 cultivating, as it is the most beautiful of all the Currants 

 which can be grown in the open air in this latitude. 

 Its flowers, larger than those of the Buffalo Currant, and in 



longer racemes, are of a beautiful rose color when expanded, 

 the buds and exterior being of a darker red. There are 

 variations with darker and with lighter colored flowers sold in 

 some nurseries. The fruit is black, scurfy, hairy, dry and use- 

 less for any edible purpose ; and the odor of tiie flowers, while 

 not unpleasant, has not the peculiar delicate fragrance of the 

 Buffalo Currant. The leaves are large, leathery, with three 

 large rounded lobes, or with the addition of two smaller lateral 

 lobes. When bruised they give off a peculiar, not very power- 

 ful, aromatic fragrance. 



Ribes Gordonianum is another Currant frequently planted 

 for ornament. This is a hybrid between the two last species 

 and it is intermediate between them in many respects, 

 even in hardiness. Its flowers are not yellow, nor yet rosy 

 red, more nearly resembling faded blooms of R. sanguineum. 

 In shape they are more like the short-tubed blossoms of R. 

 sanguineum ; while the habit of the plant, though more strag- 

 gling, suggests R. aureum. The leaves are intermediate. It 

 will live without protection in winter, although some of its 

 branches are always liable to be killed. Although interesting, 

 it is not so beautiful as R. sanguineum, but its greater hardi- 

 ness commends it where its parent cannot be grown. Like 

 many hybrids, this bears no fruit. 



A pretty plant at this season of the year is our native Black 

 Currant (Ribes floridum) bearing a great quantity of light yel- 

 lowish green flowers. It is not worth introducing info the 

 ordinary garden as an ornamental plant, but should not be left 

 out of large plantations. The black fruit of this species is 

 often large and juicy, and while not generally agreeable to the 

 taste it would seem to be susceptible of great improvement. 



While the Red Currant of our gardens is so liable to have its 

 foliage regularly destroyed by the imported currant-worm 

 (Nematus ventricosus) and other insects of the same group, 

 it is worthy of note that none of the other species of Currant 

 mentioned here ever seem to be attacked by these almost 

 universal pests. 



Arnold Arboretum. J • G. yack. 



Plants in Flower. 



T RIS GERMANICA, Amas, is an interesting variety, differ- 

 ■*• ing from the type in its much broader and larger petals. 

 The purple self-colored standards and rich dark purple falls, 

 with the noble and distinct form, mark it as a fine garden- 

 plant. It is later in flower than the type. 



Iris graminea is peculiar for its apricot-like fragrance, though 

 it has a peculiar beauty with its long narrow petals covered, 

 except at the tips, by the claws. The falls are exquisitely 

 veined with white on a blue ground, with a yellow marking on 

 the blade. 



Geranium Balkanum is a Crow's-foot, for which we are in- 

 debted to Herr Leichtlin. The plant is perfectly hardy and the 

 foliage is fragrant. The flowers, borne on radical stems, are 

 about an inch in diameter, and are attractive in shape, but dark 

 magenta in color. 



Last week marked the opening of the Rose season with the 

 flowering of the ever-welcome Rosa rugosa. The Pond Lilies 

 are also opening at the same time. The Aponogeton hasbeen 

 in flower for a fortnight, this being usually the first hardy 

 aquatic plant to show color. Just now, Nymph;vapygmea leads 

 the van of the Water-lilies, closely followed by N. Laydekeri with 

 numerous flower-buds near the surface, from most of the 

 hardy kinds. The water-garden is backward this season, ow- 

 ing to the prevailing low temperature, though it is making 

 continual progress under the influence of every bright day. 

 One of the most interesting plants in the tank at present is 

 Cyperus pungens, which seems to be making special efforts in 

 the way of increase, putting out new shoots from the bottom 

 and flowering, while from the base of the leaves on the old 

 stems numerous small plants appear and grow vigorously 

 without rooting. One finds, as he grows a water-garden from 

 year to year, that there are some things appearing from time 

 to time more interesting to a botanist than the cultivator. A 

 few weeks ag'o the tanks suddenly commenced to fill with very 

 fine thread-like Algne, which threatened to fill everything with 

 their rapid growth. One day, as suddenly, this ripened up 

 into clots of the darkest emerald green, mostly floating, and 

 easily removed. Other troubles come from time to time, as 

 in other parts of the garden, usually more difficult to diagnose 

 than with the plants growing in the border. On the whole, 

 however, once well planted, the water-garden is a source of 

 small anxiety. 



The first of the large Poppies to flower is Blush Queen, a 

 striking variety of P. Orientale, having the characteristics of 

 the type in habit of plant and size of flower. In color it is en- 

 tirely distinct, being a light "old rose," with large dark blotches 



