March 26, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



159 



physiology, would have settled this simple question of graft- 

 ing, or of stocks versus own roots, long ago. But not a bit of 

 it; in point of fact, the scientific people do not know as much 

 as the practical gardener in this matter, and even the gardener 

 is too often led by custom, or he does what is usual, rather than 

 undertake original research for himself. Knight long ago 

 formulated the axiom that the best form of vegetative restric- 

 tion or pruning to which a fruit-tree could be subjected was a 

 heavy crop of fruit. 



It has been well said that every red deer shot in Britain 

 costs at least fifty pounds, every pheasant at least a guinea, 

 and in many private gardens the peaches are not grown for 

 less than five shillings apiece ! I lately saw some Peach-trees 

 as grafted on Plum stocks. They are half-standards in a 

 vinery and the Peach scion is vainly protesting against starva- 

 tion by trying to root out all around the swollen point of the 

 so-called " union" between scion and stock! The Peach-tree 

 on its own roots grows as freely as a Willow, and if any re- 

 striction is wanted we have half a dozen ways at least, each 

 and all more efficient than grafting. 



Grafting has become a sort of fetish with many propagators. 

 Nature at her best is ahead of even the most successful 

 gardener, and she does not graft her productions. The 

 Grapes of Alicante or Cashmere are not grafted, and I have 

 yet to learn that they have been surpassed in our gardens. 

 So also the Peaches of Persia and the Apricots of Thibet, of 

 which travelers rave when eating the finest grafted produce of 

 the west. That finest in flavor of all Pears, the American 

 Seckel, was a chance seedling and not grafted, and I have 

 never heard of a grafted tree that could surpass the original 

 one as discovered by " Dutch Jacob " near the Delaware. The 

 original tree of the Ribston Pippin Apple was an ungrafted 

 seedling, and a root-sucker from it is alive to-day, but I do 

 not know of any grafted fruit-tree in Britain a century old, and 

 for every thousand of grafted conifers alive, and very often 

 stunted and unhappy, in Britain to-day, there is reliable evidence 

 to prove that at least ten times that number have proved to be 

 disappointing failures. 



Botanical Gardens, Trinity College, Dublin. t. W. Burbldge. 



Grafting Oaks. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir.— It has always been thought that the grafting of American 

 Oaks on stock of European species, a difficult operation to per- 

 form in some respects, could not make long-lived trees and 

 that this was especially true of Quercus coccinea and Q. 

 rubra. Moreover, as the acorns of several varieties have been 

 imported in quantity during the past century, it was easy and 

 natural to secure them, and therefore but little grafting was 

 done. I have noted a remarkable exception to this, however, 

 near Potsdam, the Prussian Versailles. The marble palace 

 stands on the borders of a lake in which are mirrored masses 

 of foliage from the surrounding trees in a beautiful park still 

 called "The New Garden," although it is now a hundred years 

 old. Laid out at a time when the interest in American trees, 

 then newly introduced, was at its height, this royal garden is 

 rich in foreign varieties of forest trees, which are now in fine 

 condition, as perhaps will be remembered by you and Mr. C. 

 A. Dana, with whom it was my good fortune to visit this spot. 

 Near the library, standing apart from other trees, there is to be 

 found a remarkably fine specimen of Q. rubra, grafted upon 

 our Q. Robur, for which our name is Steineiche. This interest- 

 ing tree is thirty-three feet in height, with a circumference of six 

 feet seven inches. The graft was made at the height of thir- 

 teen feet, and what makes the appearance of the tree peculiar 

 in winter is the fact not only that the bark of the top is much 

 smoother than that of the trunk below, but because the top is 

 entirely leafless, while at the same time the branches which 

 have been put forth below the graft still hold their leaves, 

 though browned and shriveled by the winter. 



M. Reuter, head gardener at Peacock Island, first called my 

 attention to this tree. The establishment of this park at Pots- 

 dam dates back just a century, that is, from the commence- 

 ment of the short and brilliant reign of Frederic William II., 

 the successor of the great Frederic. If, as is reasonable to sup- 

 pose, this tree was among the earliest planted, its age must 

 be estimated at from 90 to 100 years. In this case the durability 

 of the craft could not be better demonstrated. 

 Berlin. C - Bolle. 



The Study of Botany. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — I am glad you advocate the study of botany for the 

 young, as it gives them an interest in natural objects which 

 may be a source of pleasure to them through life. 



Perhaps my experience with my own little girl may interest 

 you. Three years ago, when she was nine, I made up a class 

 of children of about her age, and engaged a botanist to give 

 them lessons twice a week during the summer. These les- 

 sons were much enjoyed by the children, who always looked 

 forward to them with pleasure. The interest which they took 

 in flowers was greatly increased, and this added much to the 

 pleasure of their walks. Their powers of observation and dis- 

 crimination were increased, and the technical names did not 

 seem to present any difficulties. 



We spent last summer in Switzerland, where the vegetation 

 was a constant source of pleasure to the children, so that the 

 journeys, which are apt to be tiresome to young persons, were 

 made delightful to them, by their finding and collecting 

 llowers. 



This winter, of their own accord, they have taken up the 

 study of mineralogy, which interests them as much as botany. 



It seems to me that the study of the natural sciences is better 

 fitted for the education of young children than most of the 

 branches taught in schools. One great advantage they cer- 

 tainly have; the children become fond of study and investiga- 

 tion, their education becomes a pleasure, and their faculties 

 are more evenly developed than by those studies which exer- 

 cise little besides the memory. 



Highland Kails, N. Y. P. 



Orchids at Easton, Pennsylvania. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — Early last month I paid a visit to the greenhouses of J. 

 Eyerman, Esq., College Hill, Easton, Pennsylvania, where al- 

 most always there may be seen a number of choice Orchids in 

 bloom. Phalsenopses in five varieties were finely in flower, 

 including a beautiful dark rose colored and well shaped P. 

 Sanderiana, but noticeable above all was a magnificent and 

 substantial variety of P. grandiflora — the old Java form. The 

 spike carried six enormous and very compact blooms, meas- 

 uring more than four inches from petal to petal and three and 

 three-fourths inches in depth. This may be considered a gem 

 amongst Phalaenopses. 



The genus Cypripedium finds special favor in the eyes of 

 Mr. Eyerman, and there may be seen in flower and bud the 

 following kinds : C. Boxalli, C. villosum, C. Harrisianum, C. 

 nitens, C. Lowii, a fine variety of C. filmierum, several speci- 

 mens of C. Argus, including one extra-broad petaled and 

 highly colored form ; C. hirsutissimum, C. cardinale, C. cal- 

 losum, C. bellatulum, C. Parishii, C. gra?ide, C. Dayanum, C. 

 Danthieri, C. chloroneurum, C. caudatuin, C. Crossiamnn and 

 numerous plants of C. Lawrenceanum. 



Cattleyas and Dendrobiums, in great variety, were in bloom 

 with Lycaste Skinner i, including a fine plant of the always rare 

 and lovely variety, Alba, bearing six flowers, a grand specimen of 

 Cymbidium Lowianum, several of Cymbidium eburneum, and the 

 attractive Lcelia harpophylla. Odontoglossums and Oncidiums 

 of many kinds were flowering well, and last, but not least, I noted 

 a handsome plant of the deliciously fragrant little Orchid, Den- 

 drochilum glumaceum, with some seventy spikes of flowers. 



New York. E. V. L. 



Notes. 



The international botanico-geographical exhibition which 

 was to have been held at Antwerp during the coming summer 

 has been postponed until 1891. 



Thirty-three pages of the last number of the Kew Bulletin, 

 in double columns, are taken up with a list of hardy herbaceous 

 plants, shrubs and trees, the seeds of which may be had by 

 way of exchange from the Royal Gardens at Kew. 



In an article on " The History of Garden Vegetables," pub- 

 lished by Dr. E. L. Sturtevant in the American Naturalist, he 

 includes the Nightshade (Solanum nigrum), saying that " in 

 the Mississippi Valley the little black berries are made into 

 pies and other pastry." 



The last report of the Park and Garden Department of the 

 city government of Berlin shows that during the past year 

 $84,473 had been expended upon the nurseries and forest- 

 plantations where material is grown for use in the streets and 

 parks of the town. 



Mr. A. L. Kean, writing in the Botanical Gazette, states that, 

 from experiments made by himself, he believes the disease 

 which since 1885 has seriously affected the Lily plantations of 

 Bermuda is due to the same species of Botrytis which has 

 afflicted Lilium candidum in England. 



