46 



Garden and Forest. 



[January 23, 1889. 



men and women who value the healthful conditions of life in 

 a region of hills and forests. All such persons have, whether 

 they think about it or not, a vital mterest in the treatment of 

 forest-lands and trees, and in tlie diffusion of knowledge and 

 the development of intelligent sentiment regarding these sub- 

 jects. Unless thought and intelligence are applied to these 

 matters, the beauty which now attracts people to these regions 

 will l)e in a great measure destroyed by the advent and opera- 

 tions of a considerable population. 



The Southern Pine Barrens. — The southern part of the 

 state is rather monotonous in appearance, and in winter it is 

 desolate looking and uninviting. But the winter is short here, 

 and during the remainder of the year the Pine country is to the 

 botanist one of the most attractive and interesting regions of 

 the United Sates. There are many beautiful and interesting- 

 plants here, some of them extremely local, and others very 

 rare. The queer little Fern, the Schizaa piisilla, is found no- 

 where else in the world, I believe, and many southern plants 

 are found here which go no further north, while, on the other 

 hand, many plants come down from the north as far as this, 

 l)ut are not found farther south, so that the flora of tlie region 

 is remarkably rich, copious and interesting. 



It is probable that the next few years will bring increasing 

 clianges in the woodlands of this part of the state. The chief 

 value of the region depends upon its climate and upon the 

 sanitary influences of its Pine forests. There is probably no 

 part of the world which is healthful for everybody. I have 

 known people who received decided benefit by removal from 

 southern New Jersey to northern New England. But there 

 are many thousands of persons in New England who are 

 oppressed and depressed by the rigor of the northern winter 

 who would be greatly benefited by removal to southern New 

 Jersey, and some of them would live many years longer in 

 this salubrious region than they are likely to do if they remain 

 in their northern homes. Many such persons have already 

 come here from Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New 

 York and other states, most of them going into the towns to 

 live. But the true place for such health-seekers is in the Pine 

 woods. 



The poorest people cannot well come, for there would be no 

 way for them to make a living. The land in southern New 

 Jersey is not rich, and some capital is required for successful 

 farming here. It is never wise to go to a new or unknown 

 region to live without some direct personal examination of the 

 country and its resources. It is not judicious to make a 

 change by which so much is placed at risk on the strength of 

 any report whatever — not even on the one which I am now 

 writing. I wish merely to point out the fact that during the 

 next few years there is likely to be a gradual and considerable 

 increase in the demand for forest lands in southern New Jersey 

 and a consequent advance in prices. The people who should 

 come here from the states farther north are those who have 

 sufficient means to live without any very profitable industry ; 

 whose investments yield an income which will support them, 

 or nearly support them, and whose health would be improved 

 bv living here. For such persons fruit-raising, gardening or 

 farming in this region would be a most healthful and pleasant 

 recreation — if they like that kind of work. But the real reason 

 for their coming here is to be found in the comparative inild- 

 ness of the winters, in the soft yet bracing atmosphere, and 

 especially in the great number of days in the year when any 

 man or woman who can be out of bed can live out-of-doors. 



The woods of southern New Jersey should not be cut off. 

 The land now in forest ought never to be cultivated — not much 

 of it. The whole Pine region ought to be gradually filled up 

 by a population able to live without much general agriculture. 

 The country is naturally fitted to be a great sanitarium, and 

 there will soon be an imperative need that the people who are 

 to live here shall learn what are the true uses of the forests, 

 and how they can be permanently preserved and made most 

 \'aluable to their owners. J . B. Harrison. 



Franklin Falls, N. H. 



Correspondence. 



A Horticultural Register. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — I read with interest the remarks on nomenclature 

 by Mr. R. J. Halliday at the Florists' Convention in New York, 

 and the editorial remarks on the subject in your paper. This 

 is a movement in the right direction, and I hope the com- 

 mittee appointed to determine names by whicli flowers shall 

 be known will be successful. 



While approving everything done in this direction at the 

 convention, I wish to submit a supplemental suggestion. 



When the names have been definitely fixed they should be 

 registered, with Number, Name, Description and History, in a 

 book, or series of volumes, to be called the American Horti- 

 cultural Register. 



In this register should be recorded, first, the names of all 

 varieties of flowers, fruits and plants which are now culti- 

 vated, to be followed with new varieties as they are originated 

 and found. to be worthy of propagation. This register should 

 be authorized by the association, and kept by, or at the office 

 of. Garden and Forest, and new varieties could be sub- 

 mitted and recorded, and a certificate be furnished the origi- 

 nator. A separate series of numbers should be devoted to 

 each flower; fruit or plant — for instance, make a separate list 

 of Roses, Chrysanthemums, Pansies, Apples, Pears, Grapes, 

 Ferns, and then number each list separately, commencing 

 each with number one, and continuing the lists and numbers 

 as new varieties are offered for registration. 



Every one can see the advantages of a system of this kind, 

 without enlarging upon them. 



The system of registering fine live stock is well known, 

 different registers being opened for the various kinds, such 

 as trotting-horses and thoroughbreds, short horns and Jer- 

 seys, and so on. Flowers, fruit and plants can all be as well 

 included in one register. 



Some of the numbers of such numerous families of flowers 

 and fruits as Roses, Chrysanthemums, Grapes, might become 

 so familiar as to be used in some cases in place of names. 

 Any one knowing anything about trotting horses knows that 

 Hambletonian 10 is Rysdyk's Hambletonian. 



The American Trotting Register is kept by John H. Wal- 

 lace, of New York, editor of Wallace's Monthly, under the 

 supervision of the National Association of Trotting Horse 

 Breeders, and a fee is charged for registration, which, I sup- 

 pose, pays all expenses of keeping the register. 



Walnut Creek, California. A. L. Bancroft. 



[Our correspondent hardly needs to be reminded that 

 herd-books and stud-books are prepared for purposes quite 

 distinct from those which it is proposed to secure by this 

 system of plant-registration. Individual animals are regis- 

 tered in order that they may be identified, that their pedi- 

 gree may be established, and that purity of blood may be 

 maintained in a given breed or strain of Hve stock. In the 

 case of plants, how^ever, where a single registration is 

 made for all the individuals of a given variety, and where 

 the parentage of a plant is often unknown and always of 

 secondary importance, it is difficult to see how a register 

 would prevent the evils complained of. The concerted 

 action of florists and nurserymen to prevent "substitu- 

 tions," and to insist upon the abolition of duplicate names 

 in the trade, is one step in the right direction, and the 

 organization of some authoritative body, who shall issue 

 certificates for plants and fruits of merit, and to whom 

 appeal can be made in cases of doubtful identity, is 

 another. — Ed.] 



Fruits for Cold Climates. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — Under this title some late articles from Vermont have 

 been extremely interesting to western people, as showing how 

 the question of adapting Russian fruits to American condi- 

 tions looks to one in the far north-east. But some of the 

 views must be profoundly modified to suit the longitude of 

 Iowa. 



The writer truly says, " In the prairie states intense summer 

 heat and drought and the fatal sap blight must be encoun- 

 tered." Then he adds : "The fruits of the Russian and Asiatic 

 Steppes furnish the best material to meet these contint;encies." 

 In this last statement the writer has certainly been misled by 

 incautious statements. The best and most conservative hor- 

 ticulturists of the prairie states are not satisfied with the 

 past performance of Russian fruits, nor hopeful of their future 

 success here. 



The Russian apples, from which most has been hoped, have 

 developed in the prairie states three serious (and with most 

 varieties fatal) defects, (i) winter-killing, (2) sap blight and (3) 

 unfruitfulness, to say nothing of the poor quality and early 

 decay of most of the fruit produced. 



During the season just past the sap blight has ruined some 

 varieties upon which the highest hopes had hitherto been 

 built. This disease has made our nurseries and orchards of 

 Russian Apples look like a typical case of measles after the 



