August 28, 1S89.] 



Garden and Forest. 



415 



very few of its Howers durino; June and July, and of nialcing a 

 more extensive show in Aug-ust. It is at home all over the 

 temperate parts of the northern hemisphere, and, although it 

 is not a plant of great value in small gardens, it is very useful 

 and ornamental as an luidershrub in larger places, or in parks 

 and woodlands. c>- /- ty / 



Jamaica Plain, Mass. /• ^- /«^"''"- 



Native and Japan Plums. 



SINCE the introduction of the Wild Goose Plum there have 

 been many attempts to improve it, and other American 

 varieties, but as a market fruit nothing has yet been produced 

 to supersede it. If the Mariana ripened its fruit as early as it 

 was represented to do, while being disseminated, it, no doubt, 

 would be more profitable ; but such is not the case, for while 

 scattered specimens color up a little in advance of the Wild 

 Goose, it spreads its time of ripening over a greater period, 

 the main bulk of its fruit coming in at the same season. Nor 

 is its quality as good, and it therefore Ijrings a lower price. 

 The tree is much better inform and habit, though, and, in my 



arc the onlv two that have proven satisfactory and profitable 

 here. The' trees of all the other varieties of this type on my 

 grounds go down under our hot suns, blighting in the same 

 way that Pear-trees do. There are some cross-breeds — 

 neither true Chicasa or Americana in type, such as Wayland, 

 Golden Beauty, Moseman, Miner, Forest Garden, Forest Rose, 

 Reed and Indian Chief— that are perfectly hardy in tree and 

 produce abundantly of fruit, varying in size, color and qual- 

 ity ; but the season of their ripening tends to render them 

 much less profitable than the Wild Goose, since they come 

 some time after that variety, when Peaches are plenty in the 

 market. To the grower there is a world of difference between 

 four cents a quart and fourteen cents a quart, which last- 

 named figure my Wild Goose Plums, in ten-pound baskets, 

 readily brought in Baltimore market this season. 



There are but three of the Japan varieties fruiting with me 

 yet. Ogon is first to ripen ; color, yellow ; size, medium to 

 large ; quality, fair ; not productive. Botan ripens with Wild 

 Goose ; large, red ; quality, very good ; very productive, trees 

 bear quite young. This variety promises to be profitalile. I 



Tlie Fairbanks House at Dedliani. — See page 41 



judgment, the cliance for improvement, by crossing this with 

 other desiral)le varieties, is better than it is with the other. 

 The Mariana is valuable as a stock on which to work other 

 varieties, being almost entirely free from the annoying habit 

 of suckering from the roots. This is especially valuable in 

 districts infested with the Peach yellows (assuming that 

 such a disease exists), because Plums are often worked on 

 Peach stocks. Cuttings of the Mariana grow about as readilv 

 as those of the Orange Quince. 



Lone Star, a Texas variety, ripens about with the Wild 

 Goose, and when fully matured is nearly as good in quality, 

 but as a market Plum is less desirable. Robinson, another 

 Chickasaw Plum, ripens immediately after Wild Goose, but is 

 smaller, and much inferior every way, e.xcept in productive- 

 ness. It is extremely prolific. Tlie Newman, an older variety 

 — also Chickasaw — approaches the Wild (ioose nearest in all re- 

 spects — except in time of ripening — of any other variety. It 

 is a week or ten days later, a heavy yielder of fine-sized, 

 bright-red fruit, which places it second in value as an orchard 

 variety with me. Among the Chickasaws that have little or 

 no value, commercially, I would name Cadd, Chief, Early 

 Red, Yellow Transparent, Hattie, Arkansas Lombard, African, 

 Coletta and Jennie Lucas. 



Of the Americana type. Purple Yosemite and Deep Creek 



■am strongly of the opinion that it has been sold under the 

 name of " Abundance," in New Jersey. For the honor of the 

 trade, let us hope that the deception was unintentional. Kel- 

 sey is full of fruit for the first time, and at present looks as 

 though Peaches would be pretty well out of market before it 

 gets in. The trees go through our winters here unharmed, 

 not even the terminals of small branches being injured. 



Denton, iMd. J^- ^V. Kerr. 



Asparagus 'from Seed. 



ILIX'E in a locality not specially favorable to the growth of 

 Asparagus, though much attention is given to planting 

 new betls in sheltered spots in hopes to secure early cuttings. 

 During the past forty years there have l)een changes in the 

 method of its culture, and growers are still looking for im- 

 proved methods. The first beds were planted here by drop- 

 ping seeds in holes six inches deep, about one foot apart each 

 way. Such a bed of three acres, now forty-two years old, is 

 still in bearing. 



The uplands are not sending Asparagus to market; it seems 

 to flourish best in sandy loam near the river, where water can 

 be reached from twelve to twenty feet below the surface. This 

 would seem to indicate the necessity of water. The best stalks 



