6o8 



Garden and Forest. 



[December i8, 1889. 



well in Ireland, especially the pure white, //. niger angustifoliiis 

 and the St. Brigid form, botii of which are largely grown 

 there. To-day, November i6th, we gathered the beautiful 

 H. niger maxiiniis ox altifoliiis, the first to remind us of the 

 approach of Christmas, and lasting in full beauty until the 

 snowy white forms above named greet us early in the new year. 

 H. nigcr altifolius is always the first with us here, beginning 

 toward the latter end of October and continuing until January. 

 Excepting, perhaps, the Riverston variety, which is a truly hand- 

 some flower, H. niger altifolius is the tallest and largest flow- 

 ered of all known varieties. When grown under shelter the 

 Howers come almost piu^e white, but when in the open air 

 they have a warm, rosy tint, very attractive when grouped. 

 The leaves grow from twelve to twenty inches high, of a fine 

 dark green, and when liberally treated remain in perfection 

 all through the flowering season. This is probably the only 

 form amongst the old ones that flourishes in a cold, clayey soil, 

 which is found fatal to most others ; and it will prove a boon 

 to those living in low-lying or cold districts. H. niger angus- 

 'tifolius comes next in order, and of this variety there are at 

 least three distinct forms : The Wardie Lodge form, which is 

 an exceedingly valuable one ; St. Brigid, which is also a free, 

 handsome kind, and the Riverston form, which is one of the 

 best kinds we possess. The Brockhurst form, which we take 

 as being nearly the type, is not the least valuable of the four, 

 and is an exceedingly free and easily grown plant. The leaves 

 are bright green, the segments very narrow, and the flowers, 

 which are pure white, form a pretty, snowy nest in the centre 

 of the plant. These plants are not so liable to damage, owing 

 to the protection afforded by the foliage, both at the sides 

 and above them, as when full open they are still well below 

 the leaves. Of the variety Major there are also several forms, 

 tfie Irish one being, perhaps, finer than the Bath one, but both 

 are certainly exceptional ; indeed it is from this class we get 

 some of our best Christmas Roses. The very large, snowy 

 white flowers are produced with almost certainty about Christ- 

 mas-time. There is also a fine Continental form, probably 

 selected from Austrian plants, called Madame Fourcade. The 

 flowers are cup-shaped, snowy white ; the leaf-stalks bronzy, 

 with a tinge of the same running through the pale green 

 leaves. It has a neat though spreading habit and is an excel- 

 lent plant for pots. An almost intermediate form called Cauca- 

 sicus is one of the most useful for rockeries ; the flowers out-of- 

 doors being slightly tinged with rose, but when grown under 

 glass, snow white, of beautiful form. It has a most vigorous 

 constitution and stands severe weather well, the flowers being 

 protected like those of Angustifolius and its forms. Most of 

 these varieties and forms stand slight forcing very well, but if 

 too hard driven they will certainly take a rest the following 

 season. 

 Kew. D. Dewar. 



Helleborus niger and its varieties are just now supplying 

 many beautiful flowers in the open ground, which would 

 otherwise be destitute of anything in the way of flowers, owing 

 to the several severe frosts that have been experienced re- 

 cently. Frost seems to have no injurious influence on 

 these beautiful flowers, whose popular name, Christmas 

 Roses, is, in this instance, a happy one, for with us they often 

 last until the festive season has come and gone. The cultural 

 needs of these plants are so few, and, in most cases, easily 

 supplied, that no one with a garden need be without flowers 

 even at this dull season ; but these wants, though few, are 

 imperative. 



The first of them is a soil of a naturally retentive nature, so 

 that they may at no time sufffer from lack of moisture at the 

 roots, especially during their season of growth, when this is 

 most likely to occur. Another essential to their successful 

 culture is shade from the scorching rays of a midsummer sun. 

 To obviate this we plant them under deciduous trees, where 

 they get the benefit of the shade in summer, while the fallen 

 leaves of autumn provide an acceptable protection to the 

 crowns of the plants in winter. Hellebores Hke a rich soil, 

 and, as their thick, fleshy roots penetrate deeply, plenty of 

 manure should be added when planting them, for, .when once 

 planted, they should not be disturbed again until the soil has 

 become impoverished ; this is best done in spring as soon as 

 the frost disappears, as these plants commence leaf-growth 

 very early, and if shifted after this has fairly commenced it 

 seriously affects the development of the large, shining fo- 

 liage, itself an ornament at all times. H. niger is best 

 known, but cannot be compared with the varieties of it now in 

 commerce. Of these, we find the one called H. niger altifolius 

 to be the best ; its flowers are three inches across, pure white 

 inside and pink on the outside of the sepals, and borne two and 



sometimes three on stems twelve inches in length. H. niger 

 major and H. niger viaxiinus, with us, are identical, and rank 

 next in beauty, while H. niger angustifolius is another desir- 

 able form, with leaves the segments of which are narrower 

 than the type, and the plant produces more flowers, and these 

 are almost pure white. The beauty of the blossoms is often 

 marred by heavy rain-storms bespattering them with soil. 

 This can easily be avoided by placing a sasli or handlight over 

 the plants while in bloom, or they may be carefully lifted, pot- 

 ted and placed in a cool house or frame and planted out again 

 in spring. So far wehave noticed only //.wzV^r and its varieties; 

 the cultural remarks apply equally well to the whole genus, and 

 there are many other species, but they all flower in spring, the 

 flowers being produced with the young leaves. H. orientalis, 

 H. Caucasicus, H. Abchasicus and others belong to this sec- 

 tion, and are the parents of the many fine named hybrids now 

 offered in trade-lists. 



Passaic, N.J. O. 



Leading American Apples. 



'T^HOUGH we received the Apple from Europe (the im- 

 -^ provement of our native American Apples never having 

 been attempted), yet it must be noted that on this continent a 

 large number of the best varieties have appeared as seedlings 

 from the original stock. American apples take the lead in 

 every market where they have appeared ; and they stand at 

 the head of the list, with very few local exceptions, wherever 

 this fruit is sold. Each section of the Union (except, perhaps, 

 the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain regions) has produced 

 its own varieties, having merits and adaptation which give 

 them more or less preference near the place of their origin. 

 To the older sections, where fruit-growing, as a business, has 

 been longest pursued, belong the best known varieties for 

 the general market ; yet the south and south-west have many 

 Apples of all seasons, native to the soil, the commercial merits 

 of which have only to be made known in order to be acknowl- 

 edged. It is only among the summer and fall Apples that 

 any foreign sorts find acceptance with our fruit-growers, and 

 the list of these hardly extends beyond five named varieties — 

 Yellow Transparent, Red Astrachan, Oldenburgh, Alexan- 

 der and Gravenstein. The Astrachan is a most remarkable 

 fruit, in the fact that it is equally at home, valued and produc- 

 tive in Canada and Louisiana, and' from the Atlantic to the 

 Pacific. 



In the north-eastern and middle Atlantic states the four lead- 

 ing native early market Apples of American origin are Sweet 

 Bough, Early Harvest, Williams' Favorite and Summer Pippin. 

 Some persons would replace the Williams' Favorite with Ameri- 

 can Summer Pearmain, which is popular also southward along 

 the Atlantic Slope, with the Early Harvest, the Summer Queen 

 and Summer Rose. Farther south, Carolina Red June comes 

 into this list. For home use. Primate and Early Joe must be 

 added ; while, south and westward. Early Red Margaret is 

 popular. It is not certain, however, that this is an American 

 variety. 



The fall Apples are extremely numerous ; and, as the lati- 

 tude varies, many sorts among them will rank as summer 

 fruit. In the north and east. Fall Pippin, Porter, Munson 

 Sweet and Maiden's Blush are most commonly seen. West- 

 ward, and in Canada, St. Lawrence is added ; while, as we go 

 south we note in addition, Buckingham, Fallawater and 

 Rambo. In the north-west Fall Wine, Haas and Saxton 

 appear. 



The early winter Apples of the north-east are very numer- 

 ous. Fameuse (in southern New England a late fall Apple), 

 Jewett's Red, Bellflower and Hubbardston are abundant. 

 Southward the Baldwin falls into this list, with the Striped 

 Winter Pearmain, Smokehouse and Smith's Cider. In the 

 north-west the Wealthy is now becoming the leading early 

 winter Apple. Northern Spy is not a long keeper in the Ohio 

 Valley. Wagener is popular in the milder parts of the north- 

 west. 



Late winter Apples in the north-east include Baldwin, Rhode 

 Island Greening, Northern Spy and Roxbury Russet among 

 the most prominent and profitable ; but there is a long list of 

 others well known and salable, especially in the smaller local 

 markets. The King of Tompkins must be included for New 

 York, while westward Limber Twig and Golden Russet, of 

 western New York, are very prominent, though Ben Davis 

 leads all of this class in the Mississippi Valley from Iowa and 

 Illinois southward. Of winter sweet Apples, Talman easily 

 leads in market value. In the south and south-west, aside 

 from Ben Davis, Pryor's Red, McAfee and Nickajack are prob- 

 ably the most widely known. 



Newport, vt. T. H. Hosktns, 



