March 27, 1889.] 



Garden and Forest. 



155 



his work are separately examined ; the characteristics of the 

 old and new styles in gardening are explained ; and, in short, 

 nothing theoretical or practical is omitted which could serve 

 to make a useful hand-book for artists and amateurs. Some 

 of the illustrations are from designs by Friedrich Preller, a 

 landscape painter and professor at the Art Academy of 

 Dresden. 



The Rose Garden. By William Paul, F.L.S., etc., London : 

 Kent & Co. Ninth edition. 



The fact that this book has within a comparatively few years 

 passed through nine editions establishes its value among the 

 many manuals of its kind which have appeared in England. 

 Of course its second division, which gives careful directions 

 for the cultivation of many kinds of Roses, is less useful in 

 this country than in England. But in the first division is con- 

 tained an essay on the history and poetry of the Rose, which 

 is delightful reading ; the origin of many favorable varieties is 

 explained in an interesting way ; and an appendix contains two 

 valuable articles on the botany and the entomology of the 

 Rose. A full bibliography of works on the Rose published 

 during the past ninety years adds to the merits of a very attrac- 

 tive work. 



valued at $100,000. Their value to-day it would be almost 

 impossible to compute. In 1876, adds the American Druggist, 

 a scheme for a botanical garden was started in this city, certain 

 persons asking the legislature for a charter which would per- 

 mit them to establish it in the neighborhood of the Natural 

 History Museum. But as their action was prompted simply 

 by a desire to prevent the Park menagerie from being removed 

 to this locality, no more was heard of the garden when it was 

 decided that the menagerie should remain at the Arsenal. 

 The project of to-day has been born under very different con- 

 ditions, and we may hope it will have a very different outcome. 



Periodical Literature. 



Now that a project is on foot, under the auspices of the 

 Torrey Botanical Club, to establish a botanical garden in this 

 city, it is interesting to recall the fact that such a garden long 

 ago existed here. 



An article recently published in the American Druggist 

 quotes as follows from the American Medical and Philosophi- 

 cal Register <:)i]\x\y, 181 1 : 



" This institution, the first of the kind established in the 

 United States, is situated about three and a half miles from this 

 city, on the middle road between Bloomingdale and Kings- 

 bridge. The ground, consisting of about twenty acres, was 

 originally purchased of the corporation in this city, in 1801, by 

 Dr. David Hosack, the founder of the establishment. The 

 view from the most elevated part is variegated and extensive, 

 and tlie soil itself of that diversified nature as to be particidarly 

 adapted to the cultivation of a great variety of vegetable pro- 

 ductions. 



" Immediately after the pin-chase, the proprietor, at a very 

 considerable expense, had the groimds cleared and put in a 

 state of cultivation, arranged in a manner the best adapted to 

 the different kinds of vegetables, and planted agreeably to the 

 most approved style of ornamental gardening. A conservatory 

 for the preservation of the more hardy green-house plants was 

 also built. 



" As the primary object of attention in this establishment 

 was to collect and cidtivate the native plants of this coimtry, 

 especially such as possess medicinal properties, or are other- 

 wise useful, among others, such gardeners as were practically 

 acquainted with our indigenous productions were employed to 

 prociu-e them, and by the distinguished liberality of several 

 scientific gentlemen in this country there were in cultivation at 

 tlie commencement of 1805 nearly 1,500 species of American 

 plants, besides a considerable number of rare and valuable 

 exotics. 



" In the year 1806 very important additions were made to the 

 collection of plants, from various parts of Europe, as well as 

 from the East and West Indies. A second building for their 

 preservation was also erected, and the foundation of a third 

 laid, which was completed in the following year. In the 

 autumn of the same year, 1806, a catalogue of the plants, both 

 native and exotic, which had been already collected, and which 

 amounted to nearly 2,000, was published. Since that time the 

 botanic garden has been greatly improved. The buildings, 

 which are erected on the most recent plan adopted in institu- 

 tions of this kind, consist of three large and well-constructed 

 houses, exhibiting a front of 180 feet. The greater part of the 

 ground is brought in a state of the highest cultivation, and 

 divided into various compartments, calculated for the instruc- 

 tion of the student of botany and medicine, and made subserv- 

 ient to agriculture and the arts. The whole establishment is 

 surrounded by a belt of forest trees and shrubs, and these are 

 again inclosed by a stone wall two and a half feet in thickness 

 and seven feet high." 



In the year 18 10 the legislature purchased the garden from 

 its owner and put it in the care of the Regents of the University, 

 who in their turn confided it to the College of Physicians and 

 Surgeons of New York. It was not many year's, however, 

 before the ground it occupied became so' valuable that the 

 garden was " rooted up." Manv of the plants were sent to the 

 Bloomingdale Insane Asylum, 'in 1835 the twenty acres were 



The February number of the English Illustrated Magazine 

 contains an interesting article, by Mr. H. Barton Baker, on 

 "Cognac," the town and castle, not far from Angouleme, 

 which, from a mediaeval stronghold, were transformed years 

 ago into a manufactory of brandy. The castle still stands 

 almost intact, but is used as a warehouse for brandy-casks, 

 and the quaint streets of the city everywhere reveal the pres- 

 ence of the dominant industry. Even the house-fronts, for- 

 merly of pure white stone, have assumed a piebald look in 

 consequence of the fumes from the warehouses. The account 

 of the processes of making and keeping the spirit which the 

 author gives are most entertaining. " But," he says, " brandy 

 is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, thanks to the ravages 

 of the phylloxera. Only eleven years ago the Cognac district had 

 about 60,000 acres planted with vines ; of these nearly 8,000 

 have been utterly destroyed, and over 20,000 seriously injured; 

 since then three-fourths of the area have been desolated and 

 the remainder much affected, and the opinion of the leading 

 merchants is that the chances are that in another generation 

 the true eau-de-vie will he a liquor ititrouvable. Some attempt 

 is being made at replanting the vineyards, thougli, in most 

 cases, the pest reappears upon the young shoots, and here and 

 there experiments are being made with American vines, which 

 are said to be phylloxera proof, but the prospects of Cognac 

 can scarcely be said to be improving to any great extent." 



This state of things has brought about a painful decrease in 

 the activity of the town, especially as regards the immense 

 establishment organized in an ancient convent which is owned 

 by the Messrs. Hennessy. "But while an utter stagnation of 

 business prevails among the large houses, some of the smaller 

 ones are driving a brisk trade — not, however, with the produc- 

 tion of the grape. From Holland and Germeny large consign- 

 ments of spirit obtained from grain, potatoes, beet, or any re- 

 fuse from which alcohol can be distilled, are sent into Cognac. 

 This new fiery liquor is doctored, watered, flavored, colored, , 

 put into bottles or casks, branded 'cognac,' and is received as 

 such all over the world. This is the stuff the English publican 

 vends, sometiines pouring it out of old bottles bearing a well- 

 known label to deceive his customers. In fine, it is this de- 

 coction that is generally drunk in this coimtry and Germany 

 and in all parts of France as well, es])ecially in the Parisian 

 caf6s, under the name of cognac. Those who drink piu'e 

 brandy nowadays have to pay very dearly for the article." 



The best brandy now costs at least twenty-five English shil- 

 lings a bottle, and is said to be almost all consumed in the 

 United States. 



According to the Pharmaceutical Record, the soiu'ce of the 

 opium supply of the United States is central Asia Minor- 

 Here the Opium Poppy {Papaver somniferum') is "easily culti- 

 vated on the plains or lower ranges of hills, a good rich soil 

 being necessary, and considerable labor expended in caring 

 for the plant during the season of growth. Seed is planted 

 during the months of November to March, inclusive, in order 

 to protect against possible accidents by storm, and also to 

 secure a succession of ripening plants. When the plant has 

 flowered the leaves that fall are collected (used as wrapping 

 and packing in part), and when the capsule has attained its 

 growth, the collectors begin their work in the afternoons by 

 incising the capsules with an instrument formed like three 

 knife-blades, which are separated from each other by a film 

 of cotton twine and all bound as one ; the operator takes the 

 capsule in the left hand and with the right rapidly passes the 

 blades around it in a spiral upward. In the morning the 

 exuded milky juice, which, by exposure to light and air, has 

 become of a brownish-red color, is scraped off, and the col- 

 lected juice placed on a poppy leaf to partially dry in the sun. 

 Tlie opium as it dries is made into suitable balls and wrapped 

 with poppy leaves, and packed in dried leaves to prevent the 

 adhesion of the lumps into a mass. Beyond this simple 

 ])rocess there appears to be no further manipulation of the 

 drug, except where dishonesty is practiced, as the addition 

 of various adulterants. 



