336 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 285. 



Clyde (Stayman & Black).— The most promising as a mar- 

 ket sort of all the varieties grown. Plants very strong and 

 quite healthy. Berries of medium to large size, round or slightly 

 depressed, deep scarlet. Very productive and quite firm ; 

 flavor only fair. 



Enhance (Henry Young, Ada, Ohio).— As compared with 

 Clyde, this stands a good second. Fruit large, generally fur- 

 rowed, broad, conical, quite firm and of fair quality. Excelled 

 in productiveness by very few sorts. 



Greenville (E. M. Buechley, Greenville, Ohio). — One of the 

 most productive kinds grown, but hardly good enough in 

 quality to take high rank as a berry for family use, and rather 

 soft for shipping to distant markets ; it is, however, very prom- 

 ising as a home market berry. Plants strong and vigorous; 

 free from rust. Fruit large, broad, conical, often furrowed, 

 or slightly irregular ; color, deep scarlet ; flesh dark. 



Hattie Jones (J. H. Haynes, Delphi, Indiana). — In a general 

 way the report for Greenville would answer for this variety. 

 The berries are somewhat smaller, darker in color, and of still 

 lower quality. It is fully as productive as Greenville, but 

 seems a little subject to rust. Promising as a market berry, 

 where flavor is not considered. 



Huntsman (W. A. Huntsman, Lawson, Missouri). — From a 

 trial of one year it would be worthy of planting, either as a 

 family or market sort. Berry very regular and handsome, 

 round or slightly conical, deep crimson ; quality excellent. 

 Quite productive. 



Leader (received from M. Crawford, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio). 

 — Originated at Reading, Massachusetts. One of the best sorts 

 for home use and promising for market. Plants strong, but 

 slightly injured by rust. Fruit large, conical, larger ones often 

 irregular. Excellent quality, fairly firm and quite productive. 

 Fruit-stalk stout and erect. 



Leviathan. — Plant vigorous and healthy. Berries large, 

 round or depressed ; light scarlet. While fairly productive, it 

 is the least valuable in the list, on account of its being quite 

 soft and of poor quality. 



Lincoln (Slaymaker & Son, Dover, Delaware). — Plants of 

 medium strength and quite healthy. Fruit resembles Crescent, 

 but holds out better in size than does that variety. 



Standard (G. H. & J. H. Hale, South Glastonbury, Connec- 

 ticut). — Plant strong, but with some rust at the close of the 

 season. Fruit large, round, conical or slightly depressed, 

 often irregular. Fairly productive of berries of very good 

 quality, but deficient in firmness. Promising for home use or 

 local market. 



Williams (received from M. Crawford). — A berry of Cana- 

 dian origin. Plants of medium strength, badly injured by leaf- 

 blight. Berries large, roundish, often irregular. Quite pro- 

 ductive and very firm, but of only fair quality. A promising 

 market sort. 



Of the other varieties, Allen's No. i is a very large berry of 

 excellent quality and fairly firm. If found, on further trial, to 

 be sufficiently productive, it will be valuable for any purpose. 

 Belt's No. 3, Nim's Seedling, Iowa Beauty, Belle of La Crosse. 

 Stayman's No. 3, Yankee Doodle, Brunette, Stevens, Beauty 

 and E. P. Roe are also very promising. t r> t f* 



Lansing, Mich. -^- ^<- lajt. 



Two Unappreciated Fruits. 



AMONG our fruits which rank low in popular esteem are 

 thejuneberry and the mulberry, especially the Russian 

 varieties of mulberry. In fact, they are so lightly esteemed 

 that their real value is much underestimated. If we ask a re- 

 port from the birds as to their quality and desirability we get a 

 very different answer from that given by popular taste and 

 market demand. Scarcely can a more joyous populace be 

 found than the robins, sparrows and wrens who inhabit our 

 gardens in the bounteous days of June. They appropriate 

 these fruits without fear or molestation. Nobody else cares 

 for the Russian mulberries at least, and yet even this despised 

 fruit possesses qualities well worth considering. Its flavor is 

 called flat and insipid, which is true. But the sprightly cur- 

 rant ripens at the same time with the mulberry. A mixture of 

 these fruits — one-third currants and two-thirds mulberries — 

 made into a tart, or used in any way together, makes a rich 

 and juicy dessert. If the mulberry ever comes into market as 

 a commercial fruit it must do so as a cheap product affording a 

 rich and wholesome food at a low rate, and it is doubtful 

 whether it can ever prove profitable, yet it possesses one 

 character which, properly utilized, would go a long way toward 

 bringing about this end. The berries of most of the Russian 

 trees drop almost at a touch, a fact quickly noted by those who 

 pick them or observe the large numbers lying on the ground. 



This makes it only necessary to trim the young trees high 

 enough to admit some umbrella-shaped canvas like the cur- 

 culio-catchers commonly in use, then a very little batting, on 

 the same plan as that used in gathering black raspberries for 

 evaporating, will harvest the ripe fruit. It could then be 

 looked over on canvas, if necessary, much cheaper and 

 quicker than it could be picked by hand. Although the birds 

 take many, they waste more by knocking them off, and there 

 is no doubt that on areas of considerable size, systematically 

 picked, this loss would not be so great as at first seems. 



The American mulberry is much superior to the Russian 

 both in the quality of its fruit and attractiveness of the tree. It 

 is well worthy a place on grounds of any considerable extent 

 for its ornamental qualities, and if the fruit is desired it can be 

 protected against the birds by cheap netting of some sort. 



In the same direction, too, we may look for the greatest use- 

 fulness of the juneberry. This fruit, too, is lacking in spright- 

 liness of flower, but it can be improved in the same way as that 

 suggested for the mulberry, for it possesses a rich and pleasant 

 flavor which combines well with the acidity of the currant. Either 

 combination will serve to make a very satisfactory addition to 

 the winter supply of canned fruit in any family. 



All the species of Amelanchier are pleasing in appearance, 

 but the dwarf variety, known under the trade-name Success, 

 and which may be classed botanically as Amelanchier Cana- 

 densis, van oblongifolia, is a specially pretty little shrub, which 

 always looks neat and tidy. In early spring it is covered with 

 snow-white blossoms before the leaves appear. The fo- 

 liage is always bright and attractive, and few prettier 

 fruits of small size are known than those which cover 

 this little shrub throughout the latter part of June and first 

 of July, when they ripen in this latitude. Even if not ad- 

 mired for their beauty, the fruits have a peculiar and pleasant 

 flavor when eaten fresh from the bush. Why may not this 

 plant be used in groups where a low-growing shrub is needed ? 

 Then, if the birds claim too large a share, the whole clump can 

 be protected with netting for a short time, during the ripening 

 of the fruit. It is perfectly hardy and healthy and can hardly 

 fail to give satisfaction. Wherever there are children about 

 it is sure of a generous appreciation. 



Cornell University. . Fred. W. Card. 



Orchid Notes. 



Habenaria gigantea, var. Sumatrana. — This is a new in- 

 troducdon, presumably from Sumatra, and has been offered 

 for sale by Messrs. Sander. It is described as having large 

 white flowers on erect scapes, after the manner of Disa 

 grandiflora, the labellum being three-lobed, the central one 

 narrow, the two lateral ones broad, flat, deeply pectinate or 

 fringed, like the labellum of Brassavola Digbyana. H. gigantea 

 is a synonym of H. Susannse. It was figured under the former 

 name in the Botanical Magazine, t. 3374, and as Orchis gigan- 

 tea in Smith's Exotic Botany, t. 100. It is a native of tropical 

 Himalaya and other parts of India, as well as China and the 

 Malay Islands. The tubers are from three to four inches long, 

 the leaves six inches long, the stem two to four feet high, the 

 raceme four-flowered, each flower three or four inches across, 

 white and fragrant. 



BuLBOPHYLLUM Hamelinii. — This is anotherof Messrs. San- 

 der & Co.'s recent introductions. It is a remarkable and dis- 

 tinct-looking Madagascar plant, with pseudo-bulbs like some 

 great flat marine shell, and leaves that are in shape, size and 

 color like those of Oncidium ampHatum majus ; the flower 

 stem is erect, thick as one's finger, eighteen inches long, and 

 shows as many as 150 flower-seats. No description of the 

 flowers was given, as the collector had not seen them. There 

 is no Bulbophyllum in cultivation anything like this plant, the 

 pseudo-bulbs being four inches across and pressed flat against 

 the thick rhizome which evidently clings tightly to the branches 

 of trees. Whatever the flowers of this plant may turn out to 

 be, it is certainly worthy of a place in all representative tropical 

 collections on account of its peculiar pseudo-bulbs. 



Oncidium Sanderianum. — This is an introduction from Ven- 

 ezuela, where it is found growing at a great altitude, and at a 

 very low temperature. It is said to be a free-flowering species, 

 producing thickly branched spikes, which are covered with 

 rosy red blossoms ; in form somewhat reminding one of 

 Odontoglossum Pescatorei. Several plants of this Oncidium 

 have lately been sold at auction. It is in the way of O. zebri- 

 num in habit, but the pseudo-bulbs are more wrinkled and 

 distinctly egg-shaped. Apparently it is new to cultivation, and 

 from the collector's description it ought to prove a good 

 garden-plant. 



London. ^- 



