i85 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 376. 



Ericaceous plants, peat soil is not necessary for either the 

 species or the variety, and they will both do well in any 

 soil which is not too dry. They propagate slowly from 

 cuttings, the forced wood being best for this use ; or they 

 can be grown from seed, and the seedling plants will 

 flower the third year. 



Nymphtea Marliacea ignea. — This new Water-lily, to judge 

 from material sent by Mr. J. Brydon, is likely to be a first- 

 rate addition to our hardy Nympheeas. As noted in Gar- 

 den AND Forest last week, it is one of IVTonsieur Marliac's 

 new series, and the plants noted are flowered here for the 

 first time. It is superior to N. flammea and N. Laydekeri 

 in size of flower and foliage, which is only slightly mottled. 

 There is also a break away in the form of the flower and in 

 the more numerous petals. The petals are a rich, deep ma- 

 genta, self-colored, rather than a flame color or orange-red, 

 as the name would indicate. The stamens, however, as in 

 the other varieties, make a mass of orange. If the speci- 

 mens shown are a fair indication, this variety, Ignea, out- 

 classes Flammea in all respects, and would be the more 

 generally valued of the two varieties. 



Tecophil/ea cyanocrocus. — This bright little bulbous plant, 

 which has survived several years in open borders near this 

 city, seems to have found the last winter too severe for it 

 in some gardens, for plants which were considered well- 

 established have not appeared this spring. If this so-called 

 Chilian Crocus has survived in the gardens of any of our 

 readers we should be pleased to know something about its 

 treatment. It has been classed among greenhouse bulbs, 

 but we still have hopes that it may be useful in outdoor 

 gardens with a little extra care. Perhaps it would be able 

 to endure the cold if the bulbs were dried out thoroughly 

 during the summer. The flower of Tecophilaea cyano- 

 crocus is charming, standing erect, something like a Crocus, 

 on a short scape, "with six petals slightly spreading, about 

 two inches long, and of the deepest gentian blue with white 

 markings at the base. There are other species and garden 

 forms o^f the plant, but the species of which we speak is 

 hard to improve upon. Although introduced nearly twenty- 

 five years ago it remains comparatively rare. 



T 



Cultural Department. 



The Miinsoii Grape Trellis. 



HE propriety of using this term, the Munson trellis, has 

 been questioned liy a critic, who says that neither the 

 trellis nor the system of training is distinct from other sys- 

 tems ; that they are all Ivnififin systems; that, at best, what 

 ■Toes i>y the name of the Munson system should l>e a variety 

 of tlie Kniffln. It seems clear to me that the trellis and the 

 training are distinct enough to bear special designations, and 

 that the use of Mr. Munson's name is justified by the facts and 

 sufficiently authorized by its recognition in Professor Bailey's 

 American Grape Training and the last edition of the Bushbcrg 

 Catalogue. 



It may be well to explain, for those not intimate with this 

 form of trellis, the construction used and advocated by Mr. 

 T. V. Munson. According to this method the posts are made 

 six feet high. At the top runs a cross-piece two leet long, at 

 each end of which is fastened one of the wires of the trellis. 

 Mr. Munson originally used two posts set in a V shape, with 

 the tops two feet apart. The result is the same either way. 

 Eight mches lower than the two side wires there is a third wire 

 fastened to the posts. This brings the three wires into a very 

 broad V shape. There are no other wires on the trellis. 



The system of pruning, which forms a necessary part of the 

 scheme, provides that one or two stems be brought up to the 

 lower or middle wire, and that from these stems canes shall 

 be run each way along this wire. From these canes the bear- 

 ing shoots come at right angles, and naturally fall out over the 

 top wires. Renewals are most easily made by spurring at the 

 point on the lower wire, where the canes are given off from 

 the main stem, though it is often a very easy matter to renew 

 quite from the ground. 



Tliis system has been in use at the Oklahoma Experiment 

 Station from the first, though that is not very long, and has 

 o-iven abundant satisfaction in most particulars. At the first 

 glance those wlio are familiar with our severe winds, but not 



with the working of this trellis, are much inclined to fear great 

 damafre from the whipping of the shoots, but, as a matter of 

 fact, this serious difficulty is nearly overcome by the Munson 

 trellis. It is one of the most vexing problems in the ordinary 

 hori/ontal-arm training, but tlie increased height of the trellis 

 does not increase the trouble. On the other hand, the pecu- 

 liar position occupied by the growing wood gives it almost com- 

 plete immunity. The green shoot is supported in two places 

 near its base, while most of its length hangs free. Though it 

 may swing in the wind, there is nothing against which it may 

 strike, and so the damage is avoided. 



Mr. Munson sets forth his ideas of the advantages of this 

 system in Professor Bailey's .lincrican Grape Training, page 

 81. However, in our experience here, his summary is unsat- 

 isfactory. Some of the advantages which he claims do not 

 seem to be peculiar to this system of training. Others are of 

 slight importance. Those v/hich are important ought to be 

 more emphasized. In our experience the chief advantages of 

 the system are (i) that it greatly reduces the damage from the 

 wind ; (2) that it reduces damage by heat reflection from the 

 soil ; (3) that it saves summer tying. The first of these advan- 

 tages has already been explained. Regarding the second, it 

 should be said that in this country, wherever bunches of fruit 

 hang near the ground, they are usually more or less dried out 

 l>y the excessive reflection of heat from the soil during hot 

 summer days. The loss amounts to a great deal. A conser- 

 vative estimate placed this loss at from ten to sixty per cent, 

 through this country last season, and in some exceptional 

 cases the crop was quite destroyed. With the fruit hanging 

 five or six feet from the ground and overshadowed by a 

 canopy of foliage at least two feet wide, this evil is evidently 

 much nfitigated. The yount; shoots do not need to be tied at 

 all, but are left to swing freely from the support which is given 

 at their bases. In most other systems summer tying is a con- 

 sideral.)le and expensive item. Some summer pruning usually 

 has to be done, but this is much facilitated and probably re- 

 duced in absolute quantity by the Munson training. 



Certain weak-growing varieties, like the well known Dela- 

 ware, do not find this trellis adapted to their needs. Many 

 other circumstances may decide against its use ; but it is befng 

 widely adopted througli this country, and there are many favor- 

 able reports from it in other states. 



Uklaliuma AiAiicutluial College. F. A. WaUgll. 



Kerosene Attachment for Knapsack Spray Pumps. 



THE article of Professor Goft in Garden and Forest, April 

 loth, suggests a note on the improved form of a kero- 

 sene attachment to the knapsack sprayers which I have just 

 perfected. A full description of this new apparatus is pub- 

 lished in Bulletin No. 32 ot tlie Mississippi Experiment Sta- 

 tion, to which the reader is referred for any further details. 

 Professor Goff made his first attachment to a Climax-pump, 

 and in September of 1893 this attachment was given a trial at 

 the station here. After ascertaining that the principle of the me- 

 chanical mixture of kerosene with water was correct, plans were 

 submitted to the manufacturers and an attachment was made 

 to the knapsack pumps.* For garden work, and,, in fact, in 

 most cases where we wish a mechanical mixture, excepting; 

 in orchards, the knapsack pump is undoubtedly superior to all 

 others, and for this reason the attachment was made to this 

 form of pump. The instrument reported upon by Mr. Marlatt, 

 at the last meeting of the Association of Economic Entomolo- 

 gists, was this attachment to the knapsack pump, and his lack 

 of success in no way affects the principle of tlie mechanical 

 mixture. Previous to Mr. Marlatt's publication I had found 

 two objections to the attachment : (1) The mixing of the kero- 

 sene and water in the pump when the stopcock is left open; 

 and (2) the lack of graduation in the stopcock, so that the pro- 

 portions in which the separate fluids were used could only be 

 ascertained by first pumping the mixture into a graduated 

 glass jar. 



These objections, however, have been obviated in the new 

 apparatus shown in the figure (see page 187). By means of 

 two check valves at right angles to each other the kerosene 

 and water are both permitted to go into the pump, but neither 

 can go back, and so all possible mixture of the two liquids is 

 prevented, except in the pump when operating. A brass gauge 

 rod, which bends around to the side of the main tank, where 

 it fits into notches on a gauge plate, is connected with the stop- 

 cock, the spring of the rod holding it firmly in place until 

 charged by the operator. Each notch on the gauge-plate is 

 plainly marked, so as to indicate the proportion which will be 



!■ Bulletin No. 30, Mississippi Station. 



