August g, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



339 



The following field-notes upon Russian Apricots were made 

 August 3d, from well-grown trees carrying full crops: 



Catherine. — Early, tit to ship July 26th, now all soft and 

 ready to eat from the tree. Fruit small, slightly oblong-glob- 

 ular, deep rich orange, with a dull red cheek in the sun, rather 

 dry in Hesh and of indifferent quality, even for a Russian, and 

 possessing three or four woody strings running along the 

 angles or ventral side of the pit, which remain in the flesh 

 and greatly detract from its vahie. Freestone, average fruits 

 measure three and one-half inches in transverse girth, and two 

 to three of them weigh an ounce. 



BuDD. — About the same as Catherine in season, or possibly 

 a day later, oblong in shape, light orange in color, with only a 

 very faint blush, if any. Flesh moderately juicy, with a sweet 

 peach flavor. Varies from cling to half-cling. Evidently one 

 of the best in quality of the Russians, but too small for market. 

 Ripe with Early Golden, or only a day or two ahead of it. 



Nicholas. — Some trees ripen with Budd, and others a week 

 or ten days later. Fruit larger and fairer than Budd, oblong 

 and more or less flattened. Flesh juicy and sweet, the pit 

 free. There are evidently two kinds of this variety in our 

 orchard, although the trees were all procured at the same time 

 from one nurseryman. The later trees bear larger fruits than 

 the others, with a much larger and looser pit, and have a drier 

 flesh. Possibly Alexis is mixed with this. 



Alexander. — About a week or ten days later than Catherine 

 and Budd. Fruit small, oblong and flattened, orange-yellow, 

 with a faint blush cheek, the flesh firm and rather coarse. Pit 

 larger and loose. This and the late form of Nicholas, men- 

 tioned above, seem to be the same thing. About the season 

 of the Breda, with us. 



GiBB. — Three or four days later than Catherine and Budd, 

 and somewhat larger, oblong and flattened. Color a light 

 lemon or white-yellow, with only a trace of color in the cheek. 

 Flesh juicy and tender, but lacking in flavor, somewhat acid. 

 Pit rather large and loose. 



These five are the only Russian varieties which we have 

 fruited. None of them are as good, either in quality or size, 

 as Royal, Breda, Early Golden and other varieties. The Rus- 

 sian Almond, sold by Lovett, is an Apricot, although we have 

 not yet fruited it. 



The following notes were made July 27th, in the Smith or- 

 chard, on Seneca Lake, mentioned above : 



Early varieties grown are Harris, Smith's Early, Early Moor- 

 park and Early Golden. These had all been harvested, with 

 the exception of a few of the- Early Moorpark. One tree, which 

 was simply called the Russian, still bore a few small, deep 

 yellow fruits, very poor in quality. The proprietors report 

 that the other Russians tried by them are of no greater value. 

 The Harris and Smith's Early are favorites for the early mar- 

 ket. These two varieties resemble each other very closely, 

 and it is possible that they are identical. Smith's Early orig- 

 inated from a tree found growing in the yard of Mr. Smith. 

 This was after the distribution of the Harris, and as its origin 

 is not certain it may be identical with that variety. It is, how- 

 ever, sold and propagated as a distinct variety. The fruit of 

 these two varieties is large and sells well in the market. Their 

 ■flavor is not of the best. In this respect the Early Moorpark 

 excels. Although it is too small to sell well, still as an apricot 

 for home use it is unsurpassed. 



Among the more important varieties which follow those 

 named above may be mentioned Jackson, Eureka, Allison, 

 Royal, Turkish, Saint Ambroise and Roman. These varieties 

 are medium to large and produce paying crops. The last two 

 closely resemble each other, so much so that they might be 

 considered identical. A possible difference might be found in 

 the extent to which the fruits are flattened. This pecularity is, 

 perhaps, more marked in the Saint Ambroise, but otherwise 

 the two varieties are not distinguishable. A still later variety 

 is the Late Moorpark. 



In marketing apricots, the matter of variety is ignored. Fruit 

 is graded according to size, fairness and form. The crates are 

 marked "Choice" for the first grade, and the seconds go in 

 as plain apricots, for canning, preserving, etc. The California 

 package is the one used for shipping. It consists of one layer 

 of four boxes, the standard size used for choice fruits. Mr. 

 Smith's markets are chiefly Rochester and Philadelphia. No 

 fruit is shipped to New York. 



Ithaca, N. Y. L. H. Bailey. 



A Twin Tree. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — About a mile from the shore, and two miles to the 

 southward of the Princess Anne Hotel, at Virginia Beach, near 



the high-road to the historical old Princess Anne Court House, 

 stands a littLe old church, evidently repaired and re-roofed in 

 modern days, but clearly of colonial origin, a simple red brick 

 structure with round-headed windows. It has no architectural 

 merit, but is interesting from its antiquity, and effective in 

 color as it stands relieved against a near background of woods, 

 with a great tree rising near its southern side, to give it both 

 dignity and picturesqueness. 



Driving along the road early in April, when the leaves were 

 just beginning to unfold, this tree seemed to have been split 

 by lightning in its early years, but to have flourished wonder- 

 fully since. Cleft to within four or five feet of the ground, its 

 twin trunks thence rose nearly straight to a considerable height, 

 the branches of one far overtopping those of the other. A lit- 

 tle later I noticed that the foliage on the lower half of the head, 

 for the effect was not as of two heads, was developing much 

 more rapidly, and with a different character and color, than 

 that on the other, and in a day or two their aspects were so 

 unlike that the composite character of the tree could no longer 

 be mistaken. 



On closer examination the left-hand trunk, bearing the lower 

 portion of the foliage, in the more advanced stage of growth 

 and with the brighter green tint, proved to be the trunk of a 

 Swamp Maple, while the other revealed itself as a Sweet Gum. 

 Measurements gave the exact height of the divergence of the 

 trunk as four feet ten inches. At about one foot from the 

 ground, above the conspicuous swellings of the roots, the com- 

 pound trunk girthed thirteen feet ten inches. When fairly 

 clear of its neighbor the circumference of the Maple is eight 

 feet seven inches, and that of the Sweet Gum seven feet eight 

 inches. Judging by the eye, the height of the Maple is fifty or 

 sixty feet, and the height of the Sweet Gum at least one hun- 

 dred. The trunk of the Sweet Gum rises perpendicularly, 

 while that of the Maple inclines a little away from' its twin. 



But the most interesting point about this compound tree is 

 the integrity of the trunk below the point of forking. It is 

 absolutely symmetrical — as symmetrical as the single trunk of 

 any of the big normal Sweet Gums which stand near it ; and 

 the lines of juncture are no rougher or more broken than the 

 surfaces of the bark on either side. The character of the bark 

 of these two trees, when in so mature a stage of development, 

 is not very unlike in surface or color, and this fact assists the 

 effect of union. Were they only a little more closely alike it 

 would be difficult, indeed, to detect where Maple bark begins 

 and Sweet Gum bark ends. The lines of juncture are not 

 perpendicular, but, on one side especially, the Maple clamis 

 a conspicuously larger part of the circumference, as though 

 in their youth it had tried to embrace the foiuidations of its 

 neighbor. The great roots show plainly above the surface of 

 the soil, and those of the Maple run out far among their rivals. 



Now that the foliage on both heads is pretty fully devel- 

 oped, the contrast between the two is not so striking ; but it 

 is yet clearly apparent ; and when the Maple-leaves were half- 

 grown and of the most vivid light emerald green, while the 

 Sweet Gum leaves were much smaller, giving a mistier look 

 and a less vivid tint to the boughs they clothed, the effect of 

 the tree, or trees, was very singular and very pretty, despite a 

 size which entitled them to be called majestic. The largest 

 Sweet Gum which I measured in the near vicinity girthed 

 twelve feet six inches at one foot from the ground. 

 Virginia Beach, Va. M. G. Van Reiissehier. 



Recent Publications. 



The Foicrth Antiiial Report of the Missouri Botanical Gar- 

 de ti shows 3. gratifying evidence of growth, and, although the 

 wants of the garden have been fully met and all the wishes of 

 the founder carried out, the balance-sheet shows a surplus of 

 more than $17,000. The library contains 11,455 books and 

 pamphlets, the herbarium 203,000 sheets of specimens, and 

 these items, valued at $44,450, bring up the stock account of 

 the Board to an aggregate of a million and a half of dollars. 

 Among the donations received during the year was an exten- 

 sive collection of specimens, manuscripts and illustrations of 

 the genus Capsicum from Dr. E. Lewis Sturtevant, which was 

 given on the condition that the genus should be studied with 

 reference to a monograph on the wild and cultivated forms of 

 the genus. Dr. Sturtevant has also indicated his desire to 

 make a donation to the garden of his entire botanical library, 

 which is said to be the most complete and valuable American 

 collection of pre-Linna?an botanical books. The scholarships 

 have all been filled, and the young students in the garden are 

 said to have applied themselves with commendable interest. 

 The course, which originally extended over six years, has 

 proved longer than was desirable, and the curriculum has been 



