January 20, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



33 



spreading, five-parted limb an inch across, are borne in large 

 axillary clusters, almost hiding the stems and foliage when 

 fully expanded. It thrives luxuriantly in a maximum winter 

 temperature of sixty-five degrees, and may be grown in the 

 open air, either in pots or planted out, during the summer 

 months with entire satisfaction. The flowering season extends 

 through the dullest portion of the year — winter and early spring. 

 The individual flowers do not last longer than a few weeks, 

 but new ones keep opening continually. It is propagated by 

 cuttings of half-ripened wood during the spring months, with 

 a moderate amount of bottom-heat. The plant likes abundant 

 light, and it will not bloom freely nor long retain good health 

 when closely shaded for any considerable period. It is widely 

 known under the name of Acokanthera spectabilis, and pos- 

 sesses very poisonous properties. In south Africa it grows in 

 sandy soil convenient to the shore, forming a large bush, and 

 tlie natives of that region formerly poisoned their arrows with 

 a jelly prepared from its bark. 



Cambridge, Mass. M. Barker. 



The Experiment Garden. 



ABOUT ten years ago I selected a few beans which had 

 come from apparent crossing; and from that time by 

 selection only, leaving all crossing to natural causes, I began 

 the increase of varieties. The work at first resulted mostly in 

 giving me some very curious and beautiful beans ; but the 

 fourth year struck out strains that bid fair to be valuable. In 

 selecting I had in mind (i) to produce wax pods ; (2) to secure 

 them free of tendency to rust ; (3) to enlarge the yield ; (4) 

 to get either white beans, or those that would cook white. 

 There is also a good opening in market for a late Cranberry 

 bean. Bearings such points in mind, I have secured white- 

 podded beans, entirely free of rust, ten inches long, and ten 

 beans to a pod. The yellow field Bean I have turned into a 

 white-podden sort, with no change in the bean. It was easy 

 to cross in the southern Cow Pea, but no special advantages have 

 occurred from it. The result is a small wax pod, growing on 

 vines that may be trellised like peas. It was difficult to secure 

 crosses of the Lima, and those that I have so far secured are 

 not of high value. The Lima may improve other Beans ; it is not 

 likely to be improved by them. But by selection I am in pos- 

 session of a strain producing generally five beans to a pod, 

 and occasionally six. By careful breeding I believe a six- 

 beaned pod can be fixed, or even better. 



In working out rust, I found that the Golden Wax was the 

 worst possible parent. Nor am I sure that any sort from that 

 crossing is quite sure of being spotless in bad seasons. 

 Crosses of the Horticultural or Cranberry are peculiarly unstable, 

 as are also those of the old Refugee. But I have been able to fix a 

 few of considerable promise. From first to last I suppose I have 

 obtained at least five hundred new crosses of Beans. Of these 

 I have retained about one hundred. Each year shows some 

 strain of value ; but I am now intent only on suppressing the 

 tendency of broken-up varieties to cross into new sorts. 



One experiment only in Raspberries has given me a strain 

 of very early sorts, some varying toward the Philadelphia, and 

 others toward the Cuthbert, which were the parents. These 

 give hope of securing at last an early berry as good as Cuth- 

 bert is for main crop. At least I have no results so good from 

 any of the old sorts as from these. They need further testing, 

 as I have so far only given them a crowded chance in my ex- 

 perimental plot. 



Exactly what I have in the way of Grapes to offer I cannot 

 determine ; but returning to my home about October ist, last 

 year, I found there sorts already dried on my vines in a row of 

 neglected seedlings. They were, as half raisins, delicious, and 

 must have been very early. One was red, one white and one 

 black. Small seeds, medium clusters and medium berries 

 were the characteristics. 



The experimental garden is the most interesting side of 

 fruit-culture and farming in general. It does not often prove 

 profitable, but we are able to contribute somewhat to the store 

 of knowledge, and possibly may add to the list of human foods. 

 These are but. few of many attempts at improving fruits, 

 vegetables and flowers, and, although I have reached no 

 striking results, I consider the time and labor well repaid in 

 the way of self-culture. 



Clinton, N. Y. E- P- Powell. 



Autumn Snowdrops.— My experience with these plants has 

 been very limited, but I am an anxious inquirer on the sub- 

 ject, and the note of Herr Max Leichtlin was even more inter- 

 esting than many of the always valuable communications 

 from Baden-Baden. In studying up the Snowdrops I have 

 never been able to determine from the writings of the experts 



the actual difference between the early-flowering forms — Ga- 

 lanthus 01g;B, G. nivalis Octobrensis, G. nivalis Corcyrensis 

 and G. Rachelae. If I understand the matter rightly the two 

 former bloom at the same season, and by some persons tliey 

 have been considered identical. Snowdrops, like most plants, 

 vary in size of flowers and in time of blooming, according to 

 location and culture, and in the open, conditions of tempera- 

 ture, of course, will have their effect. In view of this it seems 

 difficult to separate the variety Octobrensis from Corcyrensis 

 with the present data. Herr Leichtlin says the segments of G. 

 Octobrensis are a little narrower than those of G. Corcyrensis, 

 yet I understand that he has raised some seedh'ngs of the latter 

 variety which have very narrow petals and which Ijloom a 

 montli earlier than the parent. It would be interesting to know 

 how these latter compare with G. Octobrensis. Here we have 

 a point where, if anywhere, the difference of the varieties 

 could be determined and described. In a collection of Snow- 

 drops secured by me last summer the varieties Octobrensis 

 and Corcyrensis were said to have been included, and I 

 was rewarded early in Novemlier with flowers of what 

 I determined to be G. Octobrensis. Later I have been favored 

 with a succession of blooms of what I suppose is G. Corcyren- 

 sis. These are nearly over, and have lately disappeared in a 

 snow-bank, but to-day I picked a still perfect flower, and I find 

 them of much superior form to some typical flowers just re- 

 ceived from an English amateur friend. The segments are 

 seven-eighths of an inch long by three-eighths broad, the 

 ovaries very small and of a pale green, the inner segments 

 white, with green markings and deeply notched. As Snow- 

 drops usually improve after being well established, it is fair to 

 assume that another season will see them in even better form. 

 Whatever the varieties prove to be, I have a promise of Snow- 

 drops from October till G. Elwesi, which is now showing color, 

 is prepared to carry forward the succession. 



Elizabeth, N.J. J. N. G. 



Tomatoes. — Ten weeks before the date when it is safe to set 

 the plants out-of-doors, in any given locality, seeds of early 

 Tomatoes should be sown in boxes in a warm greenhouse or 

 in a sunny window. As soon as the little plants are fairly 

 under way and before they get drawn, they should be trans- 

 planted into another set of boxes about two inches apart, or 

 potted into three-inch pots. The latter plan is best when there 

 is room. Four weeks before it is safe to finally place them in 

 the open ground, they should be transplanted into a cold 

 frame four inches apart each way, and gradually inured to the 

 air. When carefully hardened, they should go outside as soon 

 as it is safe for them ; a light hoar-frost will do them little 

 damage, and they had better be outside to start with the first 

 warm weather. In a recent bulletin from the Cornell Station 

 Professor Bailey mentions the advantage of early setting, and 

 this is a point to be insisted on. I have had large stout plants, 

 that had been gradually inured to the outer air, white with 

 hoar-frost after .going out, without suffering serious injury. 

 The plants turn purple with the cold and stand still apparently 

 for a while, but really they are getting a firm hold in the soil, 

 and as soon as the weather warms up they are ready at once 

 to do their best. I have in this way had plants, set out May 

 1st, in northern Maryland, g'ive me an abundance of ripe fruit 

 on the 2oth of June, while some of the same lot of plants, kept 

 back a week later in the frames as an insurance a,gainst loss 

 of the first, did not give fruit until July loth. Here, plants set 

 out April 1st and exposed to slight frost, gave ripe fruit May 

 25th ; and part of the same lot of plants, set out in middle of 

 May, gave no ripe fruit until Jime 15th. While it is usually a 

 great advantage to get the plants out at the earliest practicable 

 moment, there is, of course, some risk connected with if, for 

 the frost may come too severely. I therefore always take 

 this risk only with part of my early plants, reserving the re- 

 mainder to insure against entire failure should the first be 

 killed. 



Early Cabbages.— We are now (January 8th) transplanting 

 our early Cabbage-plants (from seed some only ten days ago) 

 into boxes, preparatory to putting them out in the cold frames. 

 We prefer this practice to sowing the seed in the fall and 

 wintering the plants over. While Cabbage-plants in this lati- 

 tude stand outside without any trouble, it is hard to select the 

 best time for sowing the seed in fall, as warm weather some- 

 times persists so late that the plants get overgrown, and 

 then run to seed in spring instead of heading. These plants 

 we are now pricking out into boxes will be ready to go into 

 the open ground the latter half of February or earlier, and will 

 be but little if any later than the fall-set plants, while none of 

 them will run to'seed. Tliis practice is just as .good north- 

 ward as here, only the sowing should be deferred, in the lati- 



