564 



Garden and Forest. 



[November 19, 1890. 



midsummer. C. Vitalba is in almost equally fine condition, 

 and C. Viticella, also maintains a fairly fresh look. The leaves 

 of nearly all the other species have either ripened and fallen 

 or they have been totally or partially destroyed or blackened 

 by frost. None of the species here assume bright autumn 

 colors, but the leaves of a few occasionally have a purplish 

 aspect. 



There is no hardy dwarf shrub which surpasses the Yellow- 

 root (Zanthorhiza apiifolid) in brilliancy of late autumn foliage, 

 none of which has fallen at the end of the first week of No- 

 vember. The leaves at this time are bright scarlet and orange 

 in color, and this autumnal glow constitutes the chief value of 

 this plant tor ornamental planting. It is perfectly hardy, and 

 as it only grows from one to two feet high, and spreads from 

 underground shoots, it is admirably adapted for planting as an 

 under-shrub in open places or at the edges of the shrubbery. 



The species of Strawberry-bush (Calycanthus) generally lose 

 their leaves bv the end of October, and although they some- 

 times become yellowish they usually fall without showing 

 much or any autumnal color. Considering the profusion of 

 flowers which it bears, it is surprising how seldom such a 

 hardy species as C. Itevigatus bears fruit. Very few of the 

 people who are familiar with the strawberry-scented flowers 

 know the rough, stout pods or hips, several inches in length, 

 and filled with large brown seeds. Occasionally a few hips are 

 produced on plants in this region, and they are so formed that 

 they may remain suspended from the branches for a year or 

 more and retain the seeds in a perfectly dry condition and un- 

 affected by the weather. It would be interesting to know the 

 manner of the dispersion of these seeds in the native habitat 

 of the plant in the Alleghanies, and whether anything more 

 than the disintegration of the hips and consequent liberation 

 of the seeds is provided for. If the seeds only escape by the 

 decay of the hips they must retain their vitality for a consider- 

 able time. 



Among the Barberries the only one that is perfectly leafless 

 by the 1st of November is the Asiatic plant known as Berberis 

 Amnrensis, but which is often accounted only a geographical 

 variation or form of the ubiquitous B. vulgaris. Its stiff, un- 

 bending, upright habit, as well as some other minor differ- 

 ences, render it easily distinguishable from the last named and 

 all other kinds. Its upright habit is imitated by another Asiatic 

 species, B. Sieboldii, which retains its crimson and orange fol- 

 iage a little while longer. In the common Barberry persist- 

 ence and coloration of foliage in autumn depend very much 

 on situation. As a rule, the colors are not very bright, and a 

 good portion of the leaves have fallen by the first week in 

 November ; sometimes, however, they maintain a leafy ap- 

 pearance until late in the month. All other species still retain 

 more or less of their foliage ; but, except some half hardy 

 evergreen species, none of them hold their leaves so perfectly 

 and with relatively so little change as a plant received from 

 various botanic gardens as B. Sinensis, which is still bright 

 green, although showing a little orange and yellow. The 

 beautiful fruited B. Tliunbergii has lost most of its leaves, 

 which have been conspicuous during several weeks for their 

 bright orange and scarlet coloring. 



Thefruit of B. Sinensis is very similar to that of the common 

 Barberry, being very juicy and pulpy, and also shriveling and 

 losing much of its brightness of color after several freezings. 

 It is also of a much darker red color than the berries of B. 

 Tliunbergii, which are usually dry and tasteless, and remain 

 bright, fresh-looking, plump and unshriveled throughout the 

 winter. B. Sinensis is rather a plant of more slender and 

 graceful habit than the com mon Barberry, and it differs striking- 

 ly from the compact and bushy form of B. Tliunbergii, which 

 is certainly much more desirable and valuable for strictly orna- 

 mental purposes. It is altogether probable that branches of 

 the bright scarlet fruit of the latter will come to be much used 

 as a substitute for Holly in Christmas and other winterdecora- 

 tions. The spiny character of the stems is against such use, 

 but the tenacious clinging of the fruit to the branches which 

 the species possesses is a very desirable quality. As with 

 many other plants, the seed of this Barberry germinates more 

 readily and quickly after being subjected to hard frosts. 



Ilex decidua continues to hold all of its leaves in a bright and 

 fresh condition, while those of /. monticola have all fallen, as 

 has the foliage of /. Icevigata, which turns to a clear yellow 

 before it drops. The Black Alder (/. verticillatd) does not 

 assume any bright autumn color, and now more than half of 

 its partly brown leaves have already fallen, leaving the bright 

 red fruit more conspicuous than ever. There is a bright light 

 yellow fruited form of this species which is well worth plant- 

 ing with the type to give variety and show contrast of 

 colors. 



The Japanese Ilex Sieboldii is another hardy species which 

 is early deciduous, the leaves assuming a deep reddish 

 purple" hue before they fall. The fruit has not yet been 

 produced in abundance here. Although small, the berries are 

 of a deep, dark red color ; and the plant promises to be of 

 some ornamental value. 



Arnold Arboretum. ■ J • "• J- 



T i 



Quality in Apples. 

 'HE less definition, the more dispute." This statement 

 must be regarded as an axiom of science ; but when we 

 set beside it the old proverb, "There is no disputing about 

 tastes," how shall we approach the subject of this article? 

 This approach must be made mainly from the practical, even 

 the commercial, point of view. The nation's supply of fruit 

 must be produced by its commercial fruit-growers; and as the 

 great bulk of our people are in moderate circumstances, they 

 must be supplied with fruit not too costly for their means. 

 The choicest fruit is not, cannot be, for the multitude, because 

 it cannot be produced in sufficient abundance, nor at a popu- 

 lar price. 



Nevertheless, an abundance of fruit can be produced which 

 has qualities good enough to insure a very large demand; and 

 it is important that growers who mean to supply this demand 

 should learn as much as possible about the marketable value 

 of the different varieties. 



Apples do not differ from other fruits in regard to this mat- 

 ter of quality, except in this, that very few fruits preserve their 

 quality so "long as our late-keeping apples. The buyer 

 gets this class of apples nearer to its best than any- 

 other fresh fruit prominent in commerce. Most buyers of 

 apples are in a way judges of the quality of the fruit, and 

 within the limit of their pomological education they may 

 be very good judges. But it is certainly a fact that our most 

 popular apples are generally not the best for eating un- 

 cooked. Neither are our best dessert apples always the best 

 for cooking. Nor is the public taste agreed upon a standard of 

 excellence in regard to dessert apples. Beauty, as a confusing 

 element, is to be considered. Handsome apples, even of 

 quite inferior dessert quality, find a ready sale. 



There is no apple so good that everybody likes it. In Canada 

 and New England the Fameuse (Snow Apple) ranks with the 

 first in popularity and price, and eminent pomologists allow it 

 place among the first as a dessert fruit. Yet a pomologist in 

 high station writes me that "the Montreal people may con- 

 sider Fameuse a choice dessert apple, but it is certainly not so 

 considered in the true apple-growing section." Yet Downing 

 says, "It is an excellent apple"; Thomas says, "Much ad- 

 mired as a table fruit for its pleasant and refreshing flavor"; 

 and not to quote further, the fact that it leads in favor for its 

 season in so fastidious a market as that of Boston ought to 

 have considerable weight in estimating its position. Esopus 

 Spitzenburgh is frequently allotted the first position among 

 later apples, but with all its high, rich flavor, its flesh is never 

 soft or mellow, and some will grant it only the first place as a 

 pie and sauce apple. The Newtown Pippin has long led as an 

 export apple of dessert quality, yet many do not like it. Peck's 

 Pleasant has been awarded the very highest position by con- 

 noisseurs, yet. it has never attained wide popularity. Rhode 

 Island Greening is a favorite of many pomologists, and is ex- 

 tremely popular ; but it is only when yellow-fleshed that its 

 merit is conspicuous. A green-fleshed Greening is always 

 inferior. Yellow Bellflower is, when well grown, a superior 

 apple, but otherwise is of little value. The same is to be said 

 of the King of Tompkins, and indeed of very many sorts. 

 Almost every apple-growing section has its apples of local 

 celebrity, little known or esteemed elsewhere. 



For the general market, long experience shows that there 

 must be, with the keeping varieties at least, a union of both 

 cooking and dessert quality to ensure general salability. Much 

 more of this fruit is eaten cooked than uncooked, and an 

 apple that will not make good pies stands at a marked dis- 

 advantage in the market. It must not only have a good flavor 

 which will stand fire, but it must cook quickly and thor- 

 oughly ; and an apple that will not answer this requirement 

 can never be popular. The King, the Baldwin and the Green- 

 ing are leading apples in market, because, along with ease of 

 production, they possess this double utility. Cooking qual- 

 ity, therefore, is of as much importance as dessert quality. In 

 determining the value of the great commercial apples it may, 

 indeed, be said to lead. 



The finest dessert apples are sometimes good culinary fruit, 

 but most of them lose part or all of their excellence under the 

 test of fire. So far, they may be regarded as inferior in the 

 fruit market. Their place is on the fancy fruiterer's counter, 



