September 24, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



463 



the principal causes of the prevalence in North America of 

 these insect borers. The horticulturist may destroy the borers 

 in his orchard or vineyard, but the mismanaged and mal- 

 treated forest makes a fertile breeding ground for them and 

 replaces those destroyed by the watchful orchardist. 



To substantiate the assertion, the following examples may be 

 cited : 



One of the most dangerous enemies of the orchard, the 

 Flat-headed borer (Chrysobotkris femorata) is found to breed 

 in enormous numbers within the trunks of various forest- 

 trees that have been injured by fire. 



The Oak-pruner (Elaphidium paralleluni), which does con- 

 siderable injury to Apple-trees, is found under the bark and in 

 the wood of Oak, Hickory, Elm and other forest-trees that 

 have been recently felled and left in the woods or that have 

 been reduced in vigor by fires. 



Several other species of the same family, among which 

 are Prionus laticollis, the broad-necked Grape-root borer, and 

 others often injurious to the roots of the Grape-vine, breed in 

 the trunks and stumps of forest-trees, especially Oak. Pelid- 

 nota punctata, a large Scarabasid beetle, which destroys the 

 foliage of the Grape-vine, comes from the same breeding 

 place. 



One of the dangerous enemies to cultivated Blackberry- 

 bushes, Agrilus ruficollis, the red-necked Blackberry borer, 

 preferably breeds and multiplies in the wild Blackberry and 

 Raspberry bushes that have been scorched by fires. A7nphi- 

 cerns bicandatiis, the Apple twig borer, very injurious to Apple 

 and other orchard-trees by boring in the twigs, breeds in the 

 roots of the Smilax vines which have been killed by fire. 



The various species of bark-borers of the Scolytus family, 

 which attack orchard and shade-trees, could be readily kept in 

 check, but for the fact that they breed unmolested and multi- 

 ply in fallen forest-trees. Such are the Pear-borer, Xyleborus 

 Pyri; the Pear-blight Scolytus, Phlaotribus liminaris, and the 

 Apple Tomicus, Monarthrum Mali. This list of injurious in- 

 sects, which find most favorable conditions for development 

 in the mismanaged forest and threaten the orchard, vineyard, 

 park and plantation, could, no doubt, be largely extended. 



It would be difficult to tell what in amount the loss from 

 these borers may be. We have learned that insect ravages 

 entail the loss of millions. Thus the loss from the Cotton- 

 worm was estimated in one year at almost $30,000,000. And 

 when we consider that the tree-borer does not destroy the 

 year's crop only, but the crop-bearing tree itself, the accumu- 

 lation of many years' growth and all the labor spent on it, we 

 may readily see that, in proportion to the extent of orchards 

 and vineyards, the loss must be considerable. 



We have, then, here another illustration that all things in 

 nature have their relation, and that if we interfere with their 

 adjustment we are sure to throw them out of balance and suf- 

 fer accordingly. We have another lesson, which teaches that 

 cultural and forest-conditions are closely related to each other, 

 and that, as we disregard proper forest-management in utiliz- 

 ing nature's gifts, we must bear the consequences in other 

 directions. 



Washington, D. C. P- E. FcniOW. 



September in the Pines. 



SOME flowering shrubs like Cassandra blossom with the 

 first warmth of spring, while others in the same family 

 hold their flowers back from one to four or five months later. 

 Not only is this true of the shrubs, but herbaceous plants suc- 

 ceed each other in the most wonderful and varied beauty from 

 early spring until late autumn. But by the middle of Septem- 

 ber flowers are scarce on shrubs and trees. Now and then 

 we find a belated spike of Clethra or a fragrant cluster of 

 White Azalea, but none the less attractive is a ramble among 

 the Pines than it was when they were flushed with the glow- 

 ing colors of the Laurel and Azalea or lighted up with the pure 

 masses of White-Fringe and Dogwood, and fragrant with Mag- 

 nolia and Wild Rose. 



There is no dearth of flowers now, however, only their char- 

 acter is changed. Fragrance and delicacy seem to have given 

 place to bold masses of azure and gold which blend with the 

 gorgeous coloring of the ri pening leaves of shrubs and trees. In 

 damp places the Grasses and Sedges are starred with the lovely 

 Sabbatia and purple Gerartlias — the larger G. purpurea, the 

 slender G. tenuifolia and the broader leaved G. auriculata are all 

 here. The Meadow Beauty [Rhexia Virginicd) is still a beauty, 

 with blossoms and urn-shaped seed-pods. This species is 

 common in all damp places, but R. Mariana is scarce here. 

 For years I had vainly searched for this plant, and then to sud- 

 denly come upon it in a place which I had gone over many 

 times was a surprise. The leaves are more narrow than are 



those of R. Virginica, and the llowers are paler and somewhat 

 smaller. 



The closed Gentian adds its blue clusters of bud-like flowers 

 to our collection, and a few long sprays of Swamp Loosestrife 

 (Nescea verticillata) are admitted as well as some bunches of 

 purple Eupatorium. The little Orchid— Ladies' Tresses— must 

 not be ignored, as some of them are delightfully fragrant, and 

 prized all the more as its more showy companions lack this 

 quality. The orange colored Polygala {P. lutea) is still abun- 

 dant, and the purple heads of P. sanguinea are mingled with 

 them. 



Pond Lilies are growing luxuriantly in ditches which have 

 been cut through Cranberry bogs. It is astonishing how 

 quickly these Lilies find and appropriate such places, together 

 with Brasenia, Limnanthemum and other water plants. Some 

 parts of these ditches could not be more beautiful if they had 

 been stocked and tended with the greatest care. 



Great clumps of the Cinnamon Fern grow along the banks, 

 and also the Regal Fern, together with Woodwardia and 

 Dicksonia, and the Club-moss is creeping at their feet. The 

 Ferns, too, find a place in our collection. By this time they 

 are fully matured and do not wilt as they did in early summer. 

 Now dipping our mammoth bouquet in water we place it in 

 the shade and drive home for the next pleasure, which is 

 the decorative arrangement of this wealth of material. 



On the west side of one of my rooms are two windows that 

 reach the floor with only three feet space between them. In 

 this space is a small table. The windows are draped in white. 

 On the floor in front of each window I set a large vase, in 

 which are placed the tall Ferns, with a few long sprays of 

 Golden-rod. The Ferns on either side reach the table, and are 

 glorious in the full light and graceful amid the folds of the 

 white drapery. On the table I mass smaller and more delicate 

 Ferns with sprays of Sabbatia. This is the centre of an arch, 

 and no description can do it full justice. The remainder of 

 the collection find places in other parts of the house. Some 

 of the brightest colors look well before neutral tints of heavy 

 drapery. 



But our crowning work can be made with the Water Lilies 

 and the other water plants. With a large, old-fashioned tea 

 tray and a good sized, shallow glass dish, with an abundance 

 of Moss to conceal the tray and edge of the dish, one can 

 make a pretty piece of decorative work or a bit of landscape 

 gardening if you please. Beautiful little Sedges and sniall 

 tufts of some of the wild Grasses are useful here, and tiny 

 Ferns around the edge of the water are charming. All who 

 have the time and inclination for this kind of work will find no 

 end of diversion in such studies of artistic arrangement. And 

 when completed, with a little care the miniature garden will 

 last several weeks. 

 Vineiand, N. J. Mary Treat. 



Botanical Work at the Stations. 



HPHERE are now twenty-nine botanists employed at the 

 ■* various experiment stations, and several horticulturists are 

 doing some botanical work. In the preparation of a bulletin, 

 which is to set forth the character of their senders, a list of ten 

 questions has been submitted to all of them, and the first of 

 these questions is, "What botanical problems appear to you to 

 be of most immediate importance in your state?" It is not 

 to be expected that the problems calling for solution in Maine 

 and Minnesota would be the same as those in California or 

 Florida. However, in making a summary of the replies, one 

 is surprised to find that far the most prominent subject named 

 is "fungous diseases of cultivated plants." There are sixteen 

 who announce this as among the most pressing lines for in- 

 vestigation. In addition to this, several name the particular 

 trouble to be looked into; as, for example, the Peach yellows, 

 bitter rot of Apples, Cotton blight (two), Sweet Potato rots. It 

 is interesting to note that there has been a quite natural divi- 

 sion of the fungous subjects among the botanists. Thus, for 

 example, those of the prairie region are confining their atten- 

 tion mainly to the smuts and rusts of the coarser field grains, 

 especially Wheat and Corn. In the south the leading subject 

 for the fungologist is the Cotton crop, while in the central 

 states the vineyard, and in the eastern states the garden crops 

 and those of the greenhouse are more particular subjects of 

 study. 



The study of Grasses and forage plants is considered next in 

 importance ; some, especially in the far west, are testing the 

 wild sorts under cultivation. The states engaged in this im- 

 portant work are as widely separated as Vermont, North Car- 

 olina, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Nebraska, Minnesota, 

 Michigan, Maine, Kentucky, Iowa and Colorado. In some 



