326 



Garden and Forest. 



[July 2, 1890. 



Rockford in the northern part; and at Hamilton on the Mis- 

 sissippi, across from the north-east corner of Iowa. Professor 

 F. J. Burrill, in making a journey to St. Louis this spring, noted 

 it all along the road nearly to East St. Louis. The trees in St. 

 Louis were all in perfect health. 



Professor Bailey, in the " Horticulturists' Rule-book," speaks 

 of it as attacking the leaves in spring. That is hardly correct, 

 since the damage has been completed or nearly completed the 

 preceding year. The disease attacks the twigs of the current 

 year's growth, nearly girdling them, but leaving them so 

 that the buds can put out and make some growth before they 

 are cut off entirely. 



We have something else that is attracting our attention just 

 now. A week ago brown spots were noticed on a hedge of 

 Norway Spruce. On examination it proved to be the work of 

 a spider, probably the same as the red spider of the green- 

 house. Since then it has been making its presence known 

 very rapidly. Whole trees here and there are beginning to 

 take on a sickly look. It is hard to predict what may happen 

 as the result of a hot, dry spell of weather such as we are 

 likely to have at this season, but the Norway Spruce would 

 certainly suffer seriously. 



Agricultural Experiment Station, Champaign, 111. Cr. IV. Mctluer. 



The Chrysanthemum Fly. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — In the autumn of 1888 Mr. W. Rowe, of this city, se- 

 lected the Chrysanthemum Mrs. F. Thompson as a seed- 

 bearing plant, and placed it in a greenhouse with a number of 

 varieties, mostly single, but exceedingly rich in color. The 

 seed plant, which had only nine flowers, matured a considera- 

 ble quantity of seed, which in due time was sown, and from 

 which ninety plants were obtained. Out of this lot eighty-one 

 flowered last fall, and at least one out of every four would be 

 worthy of a place in any good collection. 



Only one of these seedlings resembles the seed parent in a 

 marked degree, but in form, color and size many of them par- 

 take of the characteristics of other varieties growing in the 

 house, making it probable that some agent had carried to the 

 seed-plant pollen of greater potency than its own. 



This agent is a fly resembling somewhat the honey bee. It 

 was most abundant in the fall of 1888, and is an industrious 

 little creature, taking its daily rounds among the flowers in 

 search of food. Being interested in it as a co-worker, and de- 

 sirous to know more of its ways, a specimen was mailed to a 

 friend, who sends the following note : 



"The little yellow fly you send is probably Meredon bardies, 

 Soy. Its larva is aquatic, and may live in the water tanks 

 about greenhouses. It seems to be fond of the honey of 

 flowers, and is frequently an inhabitant of greenhouses all 

 winter. I give it credit of doing good work for me in crossing 

 Chrysanthemums, consequently I rather encourage its visits. 



"This fly is easily tamed, and three years ago I had two in 

 my greenhouse that were so tame that they would come at my 

 call and eat honey from my hand." 



NewHaven. A. Veitch. 



This matter of the Chrysanthemum Fly was brought to 

 my attention last fall by Dr. John Hamilton, of Allegheny, 

 Pennsylvania, who sent me a specimen for determination. 

 He stated that certain growers of seed had bred this fly, 

 and that the secret of their success was in the fact that by 

 the aid of this insect they secured the most perfect cross- 

 fertilization. The fly was a very familiar one to me, a 

 supposed importation from Europe not more than twenty 

 years ago, but one which has since spread all over the 

 United States. In England it is well known as the 

 "Drone fly," and its technical name is Eristalis tenax, 

 Linn. In its early stages it is one of the "rat-tailed" 

 larva?, so commonly found in the filthiest excrement. The 

 pupal stage is passed just underground, and the mature 

 fly, strongly resembling in size and appearance a honey 

 bee, is very fond of flowers, presenting the most complete 

 change in habit and taste between the larval and imaginal 

 stages. I have commonly found the fly in September on 

 sunny fences everywhere, more especially near outhouses 

 or barns. The secret of their presence in greenhouses is 

 probably found in the presence of manure and compost 

 heaps, which furnish the best breeding places for the 

 larvae, while the Chrysanthemums, by far the most gor- 

 geous and prominent flowers at that time, attract the fry. 

 There seems to be little doubt of the fact that the fly is an 



efficient agent in fertilizing these flowers, but whether it is 

 so exclusive as to merit the term "Chrysanthemum Fly" 

 is quite another question. Dr. Hamilton assures me that 

 seedsmen cultivate this fly and are very averse to give any 

 information concerning it. The breeding is easily accom- 

 plished. The flies are everywhere, and a little encourage- 

 ment in the shape of a filthy and rather shallow manure 

 pit will provide for a full crop without further care. The 

 Merodon barda (now Mallota pos/ica/a, Fabr. ) bears a casual 

 resemblance to Erislalis tenax, and the latter may have 

 been mistaken for it. The larval habits are similar, and 

 it is not without the bounds of possibility that there are 

 two "Chrysanthemum Flies." M. posticata, however, is 

 given a June period by Dr. Williston, who took it on blos- 

 soms of Dogwood and Blackberry. As to the distribution, 

 E. ienax is recorded from Europe, Asia, Africa, North 

 America and Japan. John B. Smith. 



A Hardy Plant Nursery. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — A nursery of hardy plants is rarely more attractive than 

 during the early summer, and any one interested in such 

 plants will be repaid by a visit at this time to any of the estab- 

 lishments where they are largely grown, for a personal inspec- 

 tion will give one a better idea of their value than pages of 

 description. When one is forming a permanent plantation 

 or garden it is desirable to see the various plants well grown 

 and in bloom when possible, as tastes differ materially, and in 

 color especially one's own eyes are the best judges of what is 

 satisfactory. 



At the nursery of Mr. H. Meyers, Passaic, New Jersey, I 

 found a few days ago many interesting plants. The Kaemp- 

 fer's Iris, partially in flower, made a display of unique bloom. 

 To Mr. Thomas Hogg's first importation of this valuable 

 flower have been added many more of varying merit, so that 

 the collection of varieties here is quite complete. The large, 

 beautiful, flat flowers, poised so gracefully over the reed-like 

 foliage, have a remarkable variation over a somewhat limited 

 range of colors — wine-reds, violet, purple and white. The 

 flowering of /. laevigata practically closes the Iris season of 

 the better known kinds. As seen in nursery rows the plants 

 are not as attractive as when planted near water, but one no- 

 tices sharp contrasts between the plants as to height and time 

 of flowering. 



Among other interesting plants in bloom were Lilium Grayi 

 (Garden and Forest, vol. i., 19, Fig. 4), L. Hansom, L. Chal- 

 cedonicum ; Campanulas in great variety; Delphiniums in 

 almost endless species and hybrids, the latter the gayest, 

 though D, formosum will probably ever remain the favorite 

 Larkspur. Platycodon Mariesi, the new dwarf species, is an in- 

 teresting plant with large flowers. Its height of eight to twelve 

 inches seems no great advantage, as the old P. grandiflorum 

 and its white variety owe somewhat of their grace to their not 

 too long stems. Aquilegia Canadensis, va.r.fiaviflora, is a cu- 

 rious, though not showy, dwarf variety, with pale yellow flow- 

 ers. A. chrysantha covered great breadths, but their bright- 

 ness was somewhat dimmed by the yellow composites near. 

 A mass of Lychnis coronaria (Mullein Pink), with silvery, 

 woolly foliage and bright magenta flowers, contained also a 

 few sports showing white flowers, with rose-colored pencil- 

 ings. L. chalcedonica and the double variety, as also the white, 

 and L. Haageana also represented this favorite flower in 

 bloom. The latter variety, when it does well, is one of the 

 most satisfactory of the family, its colors ranging from faint 

 rose to brightest scarlet, being perfectly clear and distinct. 



Two grand plants for sub-tropical gardens were noted ; 

 Senecio Japonicus, a large yellow composite, with deeply cut 

 palmate leaves, and Telekia spinosissima, a wild-garden plant, 

 with Inula-like yellow flowers, and broad, though somewhat 

 coarse, foliage. 



Other interesting flowers were Salvia Mans, a fine blue, 

 dwarfer than S. patens; S. pratensis; Spiraa bullata, the dwarf 

 species with deep green foliage and dark rosy flowers, beau- 

 tiful for edgings; S.filipendicla, and its double variety; Poten- 

 fillas in great variety; Centaurea nigra variegata, with excel- 

 lent variegation and red thistle-like flowers ; Perennial Peas, 

 the white-flowered variety being one of the most useful and 

 attractive of low vines; Geums, Alliums, Phloxes, Achilleas, 

 those with silvery leaves the best ; Coreopses; the graceful 

 Bowman's-root (Gillenia trifoliata), and scores besides which 

 might be named if a mere catalogue had general interest. 



