January 9, 1889.] 



Garden and Forest. 



17 



oranch is terminated by a square, tassel-like spilce one and a 

 half inches long. It was introduced in 1882 from Borneo. 



6'. hcematodes, a large-fronded, beautiful plant, which will grow 

 into very fine exhibition specimens. Nothing could be more 

 delicate and pleasing than the arrangement of the branches 

 and leaves of this species. The stems are from one to two 

 feet long, bright crimson, unbranched in the lower half, the 

 upper half horizontal, and branching freely, so as to form a 

 large frond a foot across, and as delicate in its details as a 

 Todea superba. There are several varieties, all of them beau- 

 tiful. It is a native of Peru. 



S. inequalifolia, an erect grower, two feet high, with the 

 main branches arranged alternately at regular intervals from 

 the base to the top of the stem, the branchlets forming flat, deep- 

 green fronds five inches long and four inches across the base. 

 It forms a very distinct and handsome specimen when grown 

 in a mass. It is a native of India. 



S. steiiophylla, var. albospica, a graceful plant of medium 

 size, with erect stems, freely branched, somewhat like S. Mer- 

 tensii, but much more delicately divided. It is one of the 

 prettiest for growing in masses in large pans. Tiie branches 

 are sometimes tipped with yellow. It is a native of Mexico. 



S. siiberosa, similar to the last, but deeper green, and the 

 stems are brown, those of S. stenophylla being pale straw- 

 colored. 



S. imcinata {S. cmsid), a pretty little trailer, with alternate 

 branches, somewhat triangular in shape, about three inches 

 long, and covered with tiny leaves of a steel-blue color. This 

 color varies in intensity at different times of the day, some- 

 times being almost pure green, at others an intense shining 

 steel-blue. It is a useful plant for growing amongst Orchid- 

 pots, and like situations. It comes from China, and is often 

 met with in cultivation in England. 



S. Wallichii, an arboreal kind, attaining a height of three 

 feet or more. The stems are upright, clothed with horizontal 

 branches, each of which is a triangular frond nine inches long 

 by three inches at the base, plumose, and bearing small, rigid 

 spikes from the tip of every branchlet. This is a very hand- 

 some species, which may soon be grown into a large speci- 

 men, if properly staked and trained. It is a native of India 

 and neighboring countries. 



S. Willdenovii [cassia arbored), a remarkable plant, the 

 stems climbing to a length of twenty feet or more, as thick as 

 a goose-quill, and bearing at intervals of about six inches 

 frond-like branches, each two feet long, triangular in outline, 

 and covered with the small scab-like leaves, which are shining 

 blue-green. There is a mass of this species in the Fernery 

 at Kew eight feet through and ten feet high, forming a most 

 beautiful specimen. It is a native of India. 



Many more species, quite as handsome as those described, 

 might be added, but these dozen kinds will give a very good 

 idea of what the rest are like. 



Kew, December, 1888. W. WatsOll. 



Winter Apples of New England. 



T T NOUESTIONABLY the Baldwin is the leading market 

 ^ apple grown in southern New England, and westward, 

 along the same parallel, to western New York and Michigan. 

 The Rhode Island Greening makes a close second; while, as a 

 long keeper, theRoxbury Russet has no rival among the com- 

 mercial sorts. In the business sense these are favorite apples, 

 and a well-grown, yellow-fleshed Rhode Island Greening is 

 worthy to rank with our really best apples in quality, for dessert, 

 as well as for the kitchen. And here it may be well to say, 

 that it is a mistake to speak slightingly, as some do, of cooking 

 apples. Much the larger part of om- great apple-crop comes at 

 last to pies, dumplings and apple sauce. Equally is it wrong 

 to suppose that an apple poor in quality is good enough for 

 cooking. We often hear the EsopusSpitzenburg referred to as 

 the ne plus ultra, in quality, of American apples. It is all 

 that, as a cooking apple — preserving its high, aromatic flavor 

 through the trial of fire; but I never could consider it as a 

 dessert apple._ Its flesh is too solid for that. 



The Baldwin, well grown and well ripened, is a fair dessert 

 apple. We could get along with it, if we had no better. But 

 we have. Among the big red apples, Northern Spy is much 

 its superior. The Red Russet is an apple superior to the 

 Baldwin in quality, keeping and vigor of tree, and its equal in 

 size and productiveness It is supposed (by Cole) to be a cross 

 between the Baldwin and the Roxbury Russet, but no reason 

 is given for the supposition. It had its origin on the Sanborn 

 farm at Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. In Maine it thrives 

 50 well, that in all but a few localities it seems to be supplant- 

 ing the Baldwin. Though not an "iron-clad," its northward 



range is beyond the Baldwin's, perhaps coincident with Jewett's 

 Red, or Northern Spy. It is worthy of much more attention 

 than it has yet had from commercial growers. 



Another very valuable winter apple of Massachusetts origin 

 is Sutton Beauty. It is not so good a keeper as tlie Baldwin, 

 and though often called a large apple, it requires good soil 

 and treatment to do justice to itseh in this particular. As 

 usually seen, it is not so large as the Baldwin. Its color is 

 crimson red on a waxen yellow ground. It is a crisp, juicy 

 apple, with a sprightly, pleasant, acid flavor. Though highly 

 prized in Massachusetts, the fame of the Baldwin overshadows 

 it and keeps it in the background. 



Yellow Bellflower is an apple hard to siu^pass when in per- 

 fection, and prime fruit of this variety always fetches a high 

 price in Boston. But it is very particular in its choice of local- 

 ity. I have never seen first-class BellHowers grown anywhere 

 except upon the banks of, or near to, some large river, like 

 the Connecticut, or the Kennebec. When suited in loctition, 

 no Apple yields better or finer fruit. Maine-grown Bellflowers 

 keep as well as Baldwins, though it is reckoned an early winter 

 sort. Although called a yellow apple, choice river-bank fruit 

 always has a fine pink cheek, which is not only an ad- 

 ditional beauty, but a seal of excellence. 



It is a curious fact that so great an apple-growing state as 

 Maine should not yet have produced a first rate market apple, 

 that is also a long keeper. Black Oxford, perhaps the best 

 keeper among the well known Maine apples, is but a third 

 rate fruit in quality. New Hampshire has her Red Russet; 

 Connecticut her Westfield and lierMcLellan; Rhode Island her 

 Greening; and Vermont her Landon; but Maine is yet in arrears 

 to the country on this point. 



The Westfield Seek-no-Further of Connecticut is a market 

 and dessert apple of a high grade, successful over a broad ex- 

 tent of country. It is grown westward to Michigan, and the 

 finest specimens of the variety that I have seen on exhibition 

 have been from that state. It is an apple very even in size, a 

 thing important in barrel-fruit. The peculiar Pearmain flavor, 

 noted by Downing, makes the Westfield very popiflar with old- 

 fashioned people. The McLellan, somewhat less in size than 

 the Westfield, is not inferior in quality. A yellow apple, 

 marbled and splashed with clear red, its white under flesh 

 juicy, and with a saccharo-vinous flavor, rare to find, makes 

 it a choice apple indeed. The tree is vigorous, productive, 

 and hardy nearly up to 45°, though, unfortunately, not " iron- 

 clad." Peck's Pleasant must not be forgotten among Con- 

 necticut's choice apples; indeed there are many who would 

 name it first. Large, round, fair, greenish yellow, with a sunny 

 blush, as rich in flavor as Newtown Pippin, with a softer flesh, 

 it must long remain among New England's best apples. It'is 

 a fair, but not very long, keeper. 



Vermont's Land(|li has not received the notice among po- 

 mologists which its merit deserves, possibly because it is not 

 a large apple — merely medium. Round, sligh^y conical, 

 yellow, mottled and shaded with rich crimson, with a little 

 russet around the stem, it is handsome enough, as it is good 

 enough, to be better known. Flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, 

 juicy and aromatic, and but slightly acid, this is a choice apple 

 indeed. Origin, the Landon farm, on Grand Isle, Lake Cham- 

 plain. Season, February to May. The one apple, which space 

 now allows me to notice, and which should not be onfit- 

 ted, is Flunt's Russet, sometimes called " The Golden Russet 

 of Massachusetts." If there is a best apple, surely we have 

 it here. (Downing has it under both names, seemingly un- 

 aware of the fact.) It originated in Concord, the home of 

 patriotism, poetry and philosophy. Not a large fruit, rather 

 small indeed, it illustrates the saying that the liest things are 

 put up in smallest packages. It is thinly russeted on a yellow 

 ground, with a bright, rich red cheek; with a fine-grained, 

 yellowish flesh; with a tender, juicy, very rich, aromatic, and 

 briskly (but not excessive!)') acid taste, and altogether, Hunt's 

 Russet is an apple to oft'er to our most highly valued friends, 

 in our most friendly mood. 



Newport, Vt. T. H. Hoskius. 



About Sea Kale. 



"^^T'HERE the plants are obtained from seed this is sown 

 * ' in early spring, either in the open ground, in hot-beds, 

 or green-houses. If the seed is sown in the open ground in 

 drills, these should be two feet apart, and the seed should be 

 dropped thinly, so that the plants stand twelve inches apart 

 in the row. Under good cultivation the plants may become 

 strong enough to force the fiist year, but it often happens that 

 they do not get sufficiently large until the second year, 

 when the seed is sown in tlie open ground. 



\Vhen the seed is sown in tlie green-house or hot-bed during 



