May 4, 1S92.] 



Garden and Forest. 



211 



most wonderful berries in my trial-beds has been Thom|)- 

 son's 51 ; it is not yet introduced. It is big enough for a pear. 

 Lida I reckon among the best, and it should not be discarded 

 for new favorites. Bubach is among the leading sorts, but it 



T 



Fig. 35, — Narcissus cernuus piilclier.— See page 2C9. 



lias a pistillate flower. Edgar Queen is a monstrous berry of 

 excellent quality. The fruit of Saunders is finely shaped, very 

 large, and of a fine glossy red. The flesh is also red, and the 

 flavor fine. Pearl I have always liked. The plant is a capital 

 grower in a large stool, while the berry is both handsome and 

 excellent. Enhance is probably ahead of all in cropping, but 

 not in quality. It is an enormous berry, not always well shaped. 

 Parker Earle is reniarkable for the favor it has received in 

 widely separated regions north and south. The berry is of 

 fine size, not largest ; long and necked, firm and handsome, 

 and an extraordinary cropper. It is almost late enough to be 

 classed in that list rather than as medium-early. Warfield and 

 Crescent I reject, as I do Wilson, because they are too sour for a 

 good home berry. As shippers they are, of course, good ; but 

 there are just as good shippers that are much larger and sweeter, 

 and I am quite of Mr. Terry's opinion, that it does not pay to 

 grow berries that do not average large. The time lost in 

 picking is great, and in market the biggest are always in 

 demand ; the others are often not wanted, and must sell at 

 low figures. 



Of the late sorts Manchester is old, but still good, only a little 

 too tart. Yale is winning its way as a really first-class berry, 

 and extra for canning. It is solid and dark red, and colors 

 finely in the can. The quality is of the best. Gandy has some 

 strong friends, but many report it as not sufficiently prolific, 

 which is about the truth of the matter. A new berry is being 

 pushed as something remarkable, and remarkably late — the 

 E. P. Roe. It certainly is very late, the last fruit having 

 reached market about the middle of July. It resembles the 

 old Kentucky, and will bear testing before much planting. 



I have not mentioned in the list of main croppers Bubach 

 with sufficient emphasis, because I do not yet see one berry 

 that should crowd this out ; and as forSharpless, which should 

 be ranked almost with the late, it is with me invaluable for 

 quality, and good for quantity. Others do not find it to have 

 either of these qualities. My soil is clay, and moist. It seems 

 very probable that Beverly will prove one of the principal 

 rivals of the Bubach and Sharpless. It has received a large 

 number of prizes and has a perfect flower, while Bubach is 

 ^pistillate. 



It is impossible to make out a list of Strawberries for the 

 whole country and for all soils. Cumberland and Bubach 

 have come as near as any to being universal berries. I grow 

 my berries on an eastern slope, a warm soil for clay, and keep 

 it well fed. I plant in hills, and let them run into matted 

 rows after the first year's good crop. The best time to plant 

 is invariably very early in the spring. „ „ „ 



Clinton, N.Y. ^ ^ ^ " E. P. Powell. 



Flower-garden Notes. 



HESE are busy times in the hardy Hower-garden ; all pro- 

 tective coverings have been removed, and plants are 

 coming up vigorously. No time should be lost in moving 

 plants now, as the less growth they make before they are 

 planted the more certain the success the coming season. 

 Some plants never do so well as when planted while small 

 where they are to remain, and I am convinced that this is one 

 of the secrets of success with that beautiful Columbine, Aqui- 

 legia glandulosa. Many people prefer large plants, and it 

 must be admitted that, in some cases, they are desirable, but 

 many of the more robust sorts, such as Delphiniums, Cam- 

 panulas, Aquilegias and Phlox, grow with greater vigor if they 

 are transplanted when small. The first flower in the garden 

 this season was Primula denticulata nivalis, the white form of 

 a well-known Himalayan Primrose. The spikes of flowers 

 come before the foliage, as in P. rosea, and are pure white, 

 with a yellow eye. These were raised from seed a year ago 

 and planted in a shady corner in a group with P. rosea, which 

 is now also in bloom. The typical P. denticulata is also per- 

 fecdy hardy, and the flowers are lilac-colored. P. cortusoides 

 is also in flower, and is a pretty little species, often said to be 

 the same as P. Sieboldii, but there is a vast difference from a 

 garden standpoint, the last-named plant being much better, the 

 numerous varieties making a charming group in themselves. 

 We are so accustomed to seeing P. Sieboldii grown indoors in 

 pots that we are apt to forget how well it thrives outside in 

 a shady moist situation if slightly covered in winter, as the 

 roots are rhizomatous and easily lifted by frost. Those who 

 possess a rock-garden would do well to try these Primulas, se- 

 lecting for them moist shady nooks. The sun in summer is 

 more distressing to them than the cold of winter. 



Auriculas are now in full beauty in cold frames. These are 

 so easily managed in this way that they ought be taken up by 

 many who can afford a frame in a shady place in summer. A 

 bunch of Auriculas when cut makes a sweeter and prettier 

 nosegay than almost any other Primrose. The old-fashioned 

 double white Primrose has been in bloom more than a 

 month, and is now turning pink, but it has been in bloom in 

 good condition for a longer time than usual with Primulas. 

 This was wintered with the Auriculas, and is very easily 

 propagated by division ; seeds are not produced. 



The long-confinued dry weather is somewhat unusual at this 

 season, as we have had no rain for four weeks, and the conse- 

 quence is manifest in the Narcissus-beds ; the flowers are 

 coming short-stemmed, and water is sadly needed at the roots. 

 This season, as last, N. bicolor praecox was in bloom a week 

 before any other kind, and a few days ago it was the only kind 

 in bloom but Ard Righ. N. obvallaris and Golden Spur soon 

 followed, and we have now over a dozen kinds in full bloom. 



Finf. 36. — Narcissus monophyllus. — See page 209. 



There is a great future for Golden Spur and Countess of 

 Annesley (the Castlewellan Daffodil), the last being especially 

 free-blooming and vigorous, increasing threefold annu- 

 ally. By the time this is published the best kinds will all be 

 in bloom. 



