June 21, 1893.) 



Garden and Forest. 



267 



Thompson's Seedless Grape is one of the most popular of 

 all the raisin varieties and presents an interesting problem to 

 the horticulturist. It is not known whether it is a new variety 

 or not. It appeared in a vineyard near Yuba City, Sutter 

 County, and was extensively propagated as a seedling. Upon 

 investigation, a horticultural committee reported that the par- 

 ent vine was thought to have come in a shipment received 

 from EUwanger & Barry, of Rochester, in 1872. The name 

 given was Lady de Coverly, and the Grape was said to be 

 of Turkish origin. Messrs. EUwanger & Barry stated, upon 

 inquiry, that no such Grape was in their catalogue, nor had 

 been grown by them. I have examined Count di Rovasenda's 

 great book on Ainpelography (1887 edition), also Monsieur 

 Pulliat's works, and cannot find any such name or synonym, 

 nor any Grape that corresponds to the Thompson Seedless. 

 Like the California Zinfandel, and the old Grape of the Spanish 

 Missions, Thompson's Seedless appears to be unknown in 

 Europe. Perhaps as our importations of Grapes from Asia 

 Minor continue we shall find the original of it. Mr. Eisen, 

 in his book on The Raisin Industry, suggests Damascus as 

 the probable, home of the type. 



This grape is perfectly seedless, and very popular for culi- 

 nary purposes. It is larger than the Seedless Sultana, and the 

 raisins it produces are of better quality and sweeter. One 

 pound of raisins is usually made from 3.27 pounds of ripe 

 grapes. The oval, greenish yellow berries are produced in 

 enormous clusters that fairly cover the canes. Long pruning 

 is essential. This variety, now more largely planted than any 

 other sort, was poor for years under the ordinary short pruning 

 given to Muscats and Malagas. Mr. J. P. Onstott, of Yuba 

 City, lately reported the yield of groups of vines of this variety 

 in his vineyard. In 1888, nine vines averaged eighty-nine 

 pounds apiece ; the same vines, pruned short, yielded 

 thirty pounds a piece. Five vines in 1891 produced 516 

 pounds. Six two-year-old vines, still in nursery-rows, standing 

 eight feet apart each way, produced an average of forty and a 

 half pounds apiece. One vine yielded fifty pounds in 1885, 

 sixty-eight pounds in 1886, seventy pounds in 1887, and 109 

 pounds in 1888. Then it was pruned short, and the yield of 

 1889 was only fifteen pounds. The next year, 1890, it was still 

 suffering, and without bearing wood, and only bore twenty- 

 four pounds. In 1891, being fully recovered, the crop of this 

 vine was 147 pounds. It should be noted that all the vines 

 tested stood in a vineyard, and were eight feet apart each way. 



As I have said, this new Grape of unknown parentage pre- 

 sents many valuable features, and is planted largely both for 

 raisins and table use. The fact that a change in the method 

 of pruning caused its good qualities to be recognized, seems 

 to me worthy of especial note. Practically speaking, the va- 

 riety was picked up in a long-neglected vineyard, and has be- 

 come famous under the treatment of an intelligent vigneron. 



Berkeley, Cal. Chatles Howard SJiinn. 



Notes from Baden-Baden. 



TRIS TECTORUM, Maxim., and I. tomiolopha, Hance, are 

 *■ synonyms, but the latter has larger and deeper-colored 

 flowers. I. Cypriana is a highly developed form of I. pallida ; 

 its very large sweetly scented flowers are pale sky-blue and 

 very attractive. I. maridensis, also, is a beautiful species, 

 much like the former, but having a tinge of purple and being 

 strongly veined. I. Germanica macrantha, lately introduced 

 by me, is the largest Iris under cultivation ; harmonious shades 

 of bright blue and deep violet in its flowers make it a striking 

 subject. It came from Persia with I. Meda, which has charm- 

 ing bronzy yellow flowers. I. bosniacse is another splendid 

 novelty ; it flowers very early, and the large deep sulphur- 

 colored blooms are very showy. 



Incarvillea Delavayi, an introduction of the Museum Garden 

 at Paris from the Chinese Himalayas, is a plant of great beauty ; 

 pinnate, stout, deep green leaves, about a foot in height, are 

 overtopped by a strong stalk with five or six large, Bignonia- 

 like, deep bright purplish rose flowers. Sobolewskya clavata 

 is a hardy Crucifer, having small pure white flowers on much- 

 branched stems about two feet high ; the quantity of flowers, 

 produced in greatest freedom at once and during four weeks, 

 gives to this the stamp of a very desirable perennial. Acci- 

 dentally a white variety of Linaria cymbalaria has appeared, and 

 looks very pretty and distinct. Monarda discedens is another 

 novelty, which, though not very showy, will find, nevertheless, 

 many admirers; its bells are pure white. The hardy Tropaeolum 

 Leichtlinii shows long wreaths of glaucous gray foliage, inter- 

 spersed with hundreds of large orange-yellow flowers. Verbas- 

 cum pannosum from south Bulgaria, introduced last year. 



stood the severe weather of the past winter and is a very decora- 

 tive plant. Its thick, very large leaves, covered with a silvery 

 white tomentum, produce a large spike of sulphur-yellow 

 flowers. Planted singly on a lawn it is very effective. Among 

 my latest introductions, Tchichatscheffia isatidea takes fore- 

 most rank. The plant is a native of Asia Minor and has been 

 named by Boissier in honor of the celebrated Russian natural- 

 ist and exploring traveler. From a tuft of hairy spathulate 

 dark green leaves arises a stalk as thick as a man's finger, 

 carrying a thyrsus composed of thousands of flowers which is a 

 foot across. It appears as if a bunch of bright-colored Syringa 

 flowers had been inarched on a herbaceous plant. It is in 

 beauty for four weeks and has a vanilla fragrance. It must be 

 classed as one of the most distinct, remarkable and beautiful 

 of rock plants. ,, ^ • 7 .,• 



Baden-Baden. Max LeiClltltn. 



Plants hardy in Vermont. 



AN ordinary winter in Vermont is sufficiently severe to test 

 the hardiness of plants, but the winter of 1892-93 was in 

 this section of the state exceptionally trying, and any species 

 that could survive such severe frost may well be considered 

 perfectly hardy. The heavy snow-storms which usually pre- 

 cede our coldest weather did not reach this section until the 

 ground had Irozen in many places four feet deep. What in- 

 ordinary winters would be ample protection from frost, was of 

 little use in these unusual conditions. 



I was surprised to see so few of the California bulbs injured. 

 Lilium Parryi came up in fine condition, and Fritillaria pudica 

 and F. atropurpurea are both strong and healthy. Indeed, I 

 never saw finer flowers nor larger and fuller capsules of seed 

 on F. pudica than this year. F. liliacinaand F. biflora, though 

 not so strong as the others, are doing well, while close at hand, 

 with the same treatment, F. lanceolata was killed. Erythro- 

 nium grandiflorum and E. Smithii have never flowered better. 

 They have now full capsules of seed such as I have never be- 

 fore seen on them in this state. 



Zygadenus paniculatus and Camassia esculenta have flow- 

 ered freely. Brodiaea capitata, B. grandiflora and B. ixioides 

 are budded for bloom ; also B. laxa and B. multiflora. Ipomcea 

 pandurata and I. Mexicana, two perennial Morning-glories 

 growing near each other, were covered with three inches of 

 hay during the winter. I. pandurata came through without 

 injury, but I. Mexicana was killed. A fine clump of JMontbretia 

 crocosmiaeflora was planted deep and protected with special 

 care, but was entirely killed. Quite a number of Lihes with 

 but slight covering appear not to have been injured at all. 



Among the first bulbs to flower were Fritillaria pudica and 

 F. atropurpurea. Both are well worth growing, but the nodding 

 golden-yellow flower of F. pudica is the prettier. Erythronium 

 grandiflorum and its variety, Sm.ithii, Adder Tongues, or 

 Dog's-tooth Violets, from California, are early bloomers. We 

 have a fine variety of color in the several American species of 

 Erythroniums, counting in those from the Pacific coast, and 

 our more common eastern E. Americanum. The white-flow- 

 ered E. albidum, from the western states, is more difficult to 

 grow satisfactorily, because of its tendency in cultivation tD 

 divide up. In a bed of five hundred, set out several years ago, 

 only a few flowers were ever produced, yet the plants seem to 

 have increased, and are as strong as ever, except that they do 

 not bloom. There is a Texas variety known as Coloratum, 

 which is quite hardy, a free bloomer, and, unlike the typical 

 plant, not inclined to exhaust itself by offsets. These various 

 species of American Dog's-tooth Violets deserve more atten- 

 tion from cultivators. They seem to be fairly hardy and require 

 little care when planted at the proper time — in August and 

 September — and they bloom. early, at the time when flowers 

 are most appreciated. 



Charlotte, vt. F. H. Horsford. 



Plants in Flower. 



T N the hot sunny days the Spanish Irises have quickly faded, 

 ■*■ but, as usual, the first of the English Irises follow in close 

 succession, and with another form of beauty will bridge the 

 season till the Japanese forms show their quaint markings. In 

 the mean time there are other more or less well-known kinds 

 now in flower. I. orientalis of Miller, or I. ochroleuca, as gen- 

 erally known, is one of the most distinct, stately and beautiful 

 of the genus. The sword-shaped leaves are about an inch 

 broad and three feet high. The flowers are large, with rather 

 narrow petals of the purest white, with yellow markings. This 

 Iris seems to appreciate a fair supply of moisture at the roots. 

 An Iris which I grow as I. gigantea belongs to the same group, 



