July 20, 1892. J 



Garden and Forest. 



343 



I recommend in all culture to use a note-book, and not rely 

 on labels and stakes. These, with all precaution, get dis- 

 placed ; but your book is secure. It can also be referred to 

 in the house at any time. It is only necessary to number your 

 rows, and then write down in columns the names of varieties 

 as planted. 



The cost of covering: Cherry-trees with mosquilo-netting 

 against birds is as follows: For fifteen trees in 1891, about 

 $8.00. The crop was largely used at home, but I sold .$30.00 

 worth. The netting will last two years. The fruit can be kept 

 on the trees all summer. 



As an all-around superb red grape for everybody's growing 

 I recommend Gaertner. It is a rapid grower, large grape, 

 large bunch, fine color, first-class Havor and sets admirably. 

 Brighton must be grown with others, to poUenize it ; other- 

 wise it would stand at tlie head of red Grapes. Lindley is an- 

 other splendid red that fails to take care of itself. Woodruff 1 

 still am sorry to condemn as too poor on my ground to be 

 ranked among the best Grapes. 

 Clinton, N. V. E. P. Powell. 



Notes on Shrubs. 



TT is probable that very few people, even among those who 

 ■'■ are botanists, ever see mature fruit of the Leatherwood 

 (Dirca palustris), because, although it is not so very small, it 

 is not conspicuous, being hidden among the light green 

 abundant foliage, and it ripens, falls, and is lost before it might 

 be expected to have attained full growth. In this latitude, and 

 in warm situations, the fruit ripens about the tenth of June. 

 It is about one-third of an inch long, egg-shaped or top-shaped, 

 and two or three are usually produced on the same stalk, 

 which is rarely over half an inch in length, and often much 

 shorter. The outer covering of the fruit can hardly be called 

 fleshy, being leathery and e.xceedingly thin. At maturity, the 

 fruit is of a pale whitish green color, and is so easily detached 

 from its stalk that it is liable to fall at the slightest touch. 

 After it does fall, or when drying for the herbarium, the outer 

 covering of the seed turns black. If on the ground, the outer 

 covering usually decays and falls away, and exposes the 

 smooth shining brown, and very thin and fragile shells or seed- 

 coverings beneath. The seed of the Leatherwood is usually 

 produced in considerable abundance, and as it germinates 

 very easily any number of plants are readily produced. It 

 does not seem to be known whether or not the seed is ever 

 taken for food by birds or the smaller quadrupeds, but in the 

 Arboretum seedling plants are often found in most unexpected 

 places. 



Aside from its foliage and general aspect, the Leatherwood 

 may be known at this season, from all other native shrubs, by 

 its very soft and pliable branches and tough bark, by the base 

 of the leaf-stalk entirely covering and concealing the brown, 

 velvety buds which are to continue the growth next season, 

 and by each annual growth of the branches appearing as if 

 jointed, a characteristic which is given by the conspicuous 

 circular leaf-scar. It will also be noticed that the last leaf or 

 bud does not terminate the shoot at the end of the season's 

 growth, but that there is a little budless tip, or point, which is 

 really the apex. Except for its yellow flowers, which are 

 among the earliest to appear in spring, the Leatherwood is of 

 no great ornamental value from a decorative point of view. 



Of all the species in the collection which are broadly included 

 under the genus Prunus the earliest to ripen fruit this season 

 proved to be the pretty flowering P. pendula, which had 

 small, ripe, shining black cherries by the middle of June. 

 They did not all mature at once, more than two weeks passing 

 before all had changed color. The fruit was produced in 

 much greater profusion this season than is usual here. These 

 cherries are too minute to be of any economical value, but 

 what there is of them has a pleasant flavor, a fact which was 

 appreciated by the birds and chipmunks, which greedily car- 

 ried them off even before they were fairly ripe. The kernel is 

 also pleasant to the taste, which is in striking contrast to the 

 bitter acrid-tasting kernel of our native little wild Red Cherry 

 (P. Pennsylvanica), which is usually left by animals as long as 

 there is an abundance of more palatable food. The wild Red 

 Cherry here begins to ripen about the first week in July. Al- 

 though these bright red cherries are small, being hardly larger 

 than peas, they are a good deal larger than those of P. pendula. 

 They are attractive in appearance, but the flesh is sour and not 

 agreeable to the taste. 



P. tomentosa, which came to us eight or ten years ago as 

 seed, which was collected in the mountains about Pekin, 

 China, gives more promise of becoming a real acquisition 

 among wild fruits of economical value. It has produced 



cherries during several seasons, but never so abundantly as 

 this, although even this year all the plants did not bear a large 

 crop. Like most other seedlings of fruit-trees, these show 

 much variability in quality of fruit, but on the Ijest plants the 

 fruit is of a pleasant though slightly acid flavor, and is over 

 half an inch in diameter. It is round, of a clear, light red 

 color, and is produced on stalks which are just long enough 

 to attach the fruit to the branch, perhaps an eighth of Tin inch 

 being about the average length. It is a Cherry which seems 

 capable of much improvement by selection and cultivation, 

 and as it is thoroughly hardy it is quite likely to ol.itain and 

 keep a place in northern gardens. Professor Budd states that 

 it is quite hardy on the grounds of the Agricultural College at 

 Ames, Iowa. It blossoms so early, however, that although 

 the flowers are always abundant Ihey are so liable to be in- 

 jured by frost that a good crop of fruit is not always assured. 

 The fruit is sparsely covered with short hairs, which are so 

 slightly noticeable that the edible quality is not affected. The 

 flesh is firm though juicy, and the kernel is sweet and without 

 any bitterness or suggestion of prussic acid. While the first 

 of the cherries were ripe in the last days of June, the crop 

 may be said to have only now (July 12th) reached perfection. 



This species is interesting because so different in habil from 

 all other Cherries in common cultivation. It may be likened 

 to a great overgrown Currant-bush more than anything else. 

 A number of stems spring from the root, and they appear to 

 have about reached maturity at seven or eight feet in height, 

 and at this time the bushes have a spread of ten or twelvefeet 

 or more. Wherever the branches rest closely upon the ground 

 they form roots freely, and practically become independent 

 plants. This tendency to form roots should render the propa- 

 gation of any desirable superior form a matter of easy accom- 

 plishment either by layers or cuttings instead of by'grafting, 

 which in cases like this is to be avoided whenever possible. 

 This little Cherry may prove to be a good stock upon which to 

 graft other Cherries when a good stock is wanted for dwarfing 

 purposes. 



P. Grayana, a northern Asiatic species, which the eminent 

 Russian botanist, Maximowicz, named in honor of the late Dr. 

 Gray, has borne a few ripe fruits this season, undoubtedly for 

 the first time in America. It closely resembles the Bird Cherry 

 (P. Padus) of Europe, and has flowers and fruit in long ra- 

 cemes, the fruit being black and smaller than the cherries of 

 our common Choke-cherry (P. Virginiana), and with a much 

 less agreeable flavor — in fact, it might be counted decidedly 

 puckery and disagreeable. 



A peculiarity of P. Grayana, as also of P. Padus, is the ex- 

 treme earliness of the foliage, the plants being covered with 

 well-developed light green leaves, which render them con- 

 spicuous before the middle of April and before the leaves of 

 other trees and shrubs have made much headway. The earli- 

 ness of the foliage may be considered the chief ornamental 

 value of these trees in this country.' Unfortunately, also, they 

 appear to be extremely subject to attacks by the black-knot 

 fungus. 



Arnold Arborelum. J . G. Jack. 



Cyclamens and Chinese Primroses. 



'T^HE well-known varieties of Cyclamen Persicum and 

 -'■ Primula Sinensis are among the most useful dwarf-grow- 

 ing plants for conservatory and house decoration during the 

 winter and spring, since their profusion of flowers is most wel- 

 come at that season. Of course, it is now too late to sow seeds 

 of Cyclamen for the coming season's flowers, but about Sep- 

 tember will be a good time to make such preparation for the 

 following year, for it is far more satisfactory to raise a crop of 

 seedlings each season than to keep over old plants, which will 

 not produce such fine flowers under ordinary cultivation as the 

 young seedlings. The seeds should be fresh, as they lose vi- 

 tality quite rapidly. The safest method is to sow them in pots 

 or pans of light soil as soon as they are ripe. The pots should 

 be shaded from the sun and placed in a temperature of fifty- 

 five to sixty degrees. As the seedlings appear they should be 

 given plenty of light to induce a sturdy habit, but they should 

 be protected against strong sunshine. As soon as they have 

 two or three leaves they may be transplanted into two-inch 

 pots, light loam being a suitable soil for this purpose, to which 

 may be added some sand or brick-dust to make the mixture 

 more porous. When the young plants are nicely rooted, and 

 before they become badly pot-bound, thej' should be shifted 

 on into three-inch pots, and from these into four and six inch 

 sizes as they require it. The plants do not like to have the soil 

 very firm about the roofs, and therefore light potting should 

 be the rule at all times, and this is one secret of success in their 



