January 15, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



33 



out strong shoots from every perfect joint, and these can be 

 taken off as cuttings and quickly make strong plants. This is 

 much simpler than Mr. Beale's plan, requires little care, and 

 produces, of coarse, the same number of plants, and probably 

 stronger ones. On New Year's day, to give a practical exam- 

 ple, I lifted a stem which had been laid in a cold frame about 

 the middle of November. This had borne a specimen flower 

 and is a foot long, with two weak side shoots, and it had 

 twenty-six shoots in fine condition, though some were quite 

 small. Half the stem gave no shoots, probably because the 

 buds had been taken out in cultivation. Now, it will be seen 

 that one could put this stem in gentle heat, and in a few weeks 

 make a set of cuttings, and these grown along will make 

 others, and as these increase, in a geometrical ratio, I think I 

 am safe in saying that a good propagator would turn out 

 from 150 to 200 plants from this stock by planting-time. 

 Such an increase should satisfy the most exacting. 



Because Chrysanthemums are almost necessarily protected 

 by glass in the blooming season, there seems to be an increas- 

 ing tendency to treat them all through as greenhouse plants. 

 A plant which, after blooming with the greatest profusion, 

 and thus being in a weakened condition, will live out-of-doors 

 in a well drained border, in our climate, with such protection 

 as is ordinarily given to most of the so-called hardy plants, 

 and then "strikes" readily and naturally in a temperature of 

 forty to fifty degrees, is scarcely to be classed as a green- 

 house subject. The professional growers propagate and bring 

 on their stock in heat very successfully, but it is not an example 

 for the amateur to follow, except perhaps in the use of very slight 

 bottom heat in striking, when necessary. For the general stock, 

 cuttings in the cold frame will almost invariably root during 

 the winter, and are not so liable to harden up and become 

 worthless, as those grown along in the house. Mildew, how- 

 ever, is the enemy to be watched in this case, and frames 

 should be aired at every opportunity. Most of our growers 

 have discarded early cuttings on account of this liability to 

 mildew. Amateurs will have satisfactory results if they plant 

 their stock-plants closely in cold frames, and protect them well, 

 although a little frost will not injure the plants. Cuttings 

 should be dibbled out in February or March, in the same 

 place. They will soon root, and should be given all possible 

 air, with protection from winds, and planted out at the earliest 

 possible moment. _. , r . _ . 



Elizabeth, n.j. J. h. Gerard. 



The Loquat and the Medlar. 



THE Medlar (Mespilns Germanicd) is a native of Europe, 

 where it is frequently met with in its wild state ; but 

 in several of the southern states the fruit is becoming quite 

 popular. In Germany it ranks very high as a common fruit, 

 and large quantities are disposed of on the market-stalls of all 

 the principal cities. When the seeds were first brought to 

 this country it is difficult to say, and there is very little infor- 

 mation to be obtained about it from any American books on 

 fruit culture. 



The Medlar reached Florida from New Orleans, having been 

 brought there by some of the French Jesuits. It has now been 

 growing in the Florida gardens for thirty years, and, in sec- 

 tions of the upper part of the state, the bushes are frequently 

 met with in a semi-wild state. The fruits on these unculti- 

 vated plants have degenerated greatly, and present a strong 

 contrast to those found in the gardens and groves of the 

 white settlers. 



The tree is small but handsome, and in Europe it is used 

 for hedges almost as generally as the Osage Orange is em- 

 ployed for like purposes in this country. When the fruit is 

 thoroughly developed and matured on the tree it has a dark 

 brownish skin, with firm, austere flesh. It is of fair size, 

 and very palatable after it has been kept until the first stages 

 of decay, called bletting, has thoroughly softened the flesh of 

 the pulp. It has a rich, subacid flavor then, which is highly 

 prized by many who have become accustomed to the fruit. 



The Medlar is usually propagated from seed ; but in many 

 sections of the south it has been budded or grafted on the Pear 

 with great success. It has close affinities to the genus Pyrus, 

 and by many botanists it is classed as a member of this genus. 



The Loquat (Eriobotrya Japonicd) is a related species to the 

 Medlar, and in many sections of the south it passes under the 

 misnomer "Japan Plum." It is grown quite extensively in 

 the Gulf States, where it reaches its highest perfection ; but in 

 many instances it is planted more as an ornamental tree than 

 for the fruit. The tree is a small but handsome evergreen, 

 with thick, leathery, lanceolate leaves, highly polished on the 

 upper side. In the fall of the year the blossoms, of a creamy 

 white color, appear in large terminal spikes, and exhale an 



agreeable fragrance, scenting the air almost as generally as 

 the Orange blossoms. In early spring the flowers drop off, 

 and clusters of yellow fruit appear. 



The fruit grows in clusters as close as grapes, with a thick 

 skin of a dull pinkish color, and about the size of an ordinary 

 plum. Most of the fruit has a delicious, pleasant subacid 

 flavor ; but there is a manifest difference in the size and flavor 

 of the fruit in different sections of the south. There are no 

 distinct varieties described ; but some of the trees produce fruit 

 that is very sweet and agreeable to the taste, while others are 

 too acid to be eaten with any degree of pleasure. 



The tree is propagated from the seed, and it may be seen 

 in nearly every ornamental southern garden. In the sections 

 of the south where frost is heavy the tree becomes blighted, 

 even while the flowers and fruits are forming, so that it can 

 really never amount to anything as a fruit producer. Going 

 farther south, however, we find that, in the lower counties of 

 Florida the Loquat blooms and matures its fruit during the 

 winter season without interruption from cold, which in the 

 spring offers a tempting feast to all who relish it. The first 

 fruit appears the last of February, just when other fruits are 

 scarce in our northern markets. _ _.,,,, 



New York. George E. Walsh. 



Dracaena Lindenii.— This makes a fine exhibition plant, and 

 has great value for general decorative work, being especially 

 useful for single specimens in vases. It is of recent introduc- 

 tion, and does not differ in its growth from the D. fragrans, 

 but the broad, arching leaves of green are beautifully orna- 

 mented with a wide margin of creamy yellow, which gives to 

 the plant a very attractive appearance and places it in the 

 front rank of variegated plants. It is propagated easily by the 

 usual method of layering or cutting up the canes, but to make 

 good specimens, fit for exhibition purposes, the heads alone 

 must be used, and these with care will make a fine crop of 

 roots in a few weeks without the loss of a single leaf. D. Mas- 

 sa7igeana makes an excellent companion plant for the forego- 

 ing, only differing from it in that the variegation runs through 

 the centre of the leaf instead of along the margin. 



Ficus elastica variegata. — Mr. Taplin has not spoken any too 

 highly of the merits of the variegated Rubber plant (ii., 620). 

 We use it for house decoration, and find it quite as hardy as 

 the common kind. We have never experienced any difficulty 

 in rooting the cuttings whether by eyes or by tops. We have 

 rooted a good many lately in a very warm, close frame, with 

 about three inches of fine coal ashes and a brisk bottom heat. 



Homalomena (Carmeria) Wallisii is not grown so generally as 

 it should be. It is a handsome plant, belonging to the 

 Aroidea, of low-growing habit, not more than nine inches 

 high, with drooping leaves, six to eight inches long by five 

 inches wide, ovate-oblong, and pale velvety green, copiously 

 blotched with golden yellow. The under surface is dull 

 red. The flowers are rather attractive, the spathe being 

 about three inches long, constricted in the middle and reddish 

 brown, while the spadix is red. To ensure good leaves, how- 

 ever, the flowers should be picked as soon as seen. We grow 

 this plant in the warmest house, potted in a mixture of peat 

 and moss and keep it very wet. Under this treatment it gives 

 great satisfaction. It should be propagated by division. 



Kenwood, N. Y. F. Goldrillg. 



Sowing Seed. — Let me add to Professor Bailey's admirable 

 article that the importance of care in the preparation of the 

 soil is sadly underrated. This care is usually given in propor- 

 tion to the cost of the seed ; that is, a novelty of high price 

 receives due attention, and for this reason rather than for any 

 real superiority, it may excel older sorts. The market-gar- 

 deners of Long Island, as a rule, buy their Cabbage-seed of a 

 neighbor who has a reputation for a choice variety; something 

 far superior, he thinks, to anything to be obtained at a seed- 

 house. Market-gardeners pay from twelve to fifteen dollars 

 per pound for this seed, when equally good seed could be 

 bought at a reliable house for three dollars. But the fifteen- 

 dollar seed is the cheapest for the gardener in the end, because 

 he sows thinly in soil prepared with the greatest care. The 

 result is that most of the seed germinates, the plants have suf- 

 ficient room for development ; they do not get " leggy," but 

 are strong and stocky, and in the finely-pulverized, but well- 

 compacted, soil they are well furnished with roots. When 

 these plants are set in the field they do not suffer from the 

 change ; their vigor pushes them ahead, they are quickly 

 established, and yield a large proportion of well-developed 

 heads. Low-priced seed, purchased by the same gardener, 

 would have been sown more thickly in loose and coarse soil, 

 where the plants would have been long-drawn, poorly rooted 



