442 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 238. 



one of the best pink-colored hardy varieties grown. N. carnea 

 is a liglit pink. N. rosea, with flowers seven or eight inches 

 across, a lovely shade of pink, has also very handsome foliage. 

 N. albida is a splendid white. The flower is better than that 

 of the variety Candidissima, but Mr. Brydon says it is not so 

 satisfactory to grow. 



A disease which, unfortunately, disfigures the leaves has 

 attacked the Victoria regia, and, consequently, it is not so 

 handsome as it once was. Rand's variety is grown, and is dis- 

 tinguished from the type in having a deeper rim to the leaves. 

 The Sacred Bean (Nelumbium speciosum) is quite at home in 

 a pool along the edge of a swamp, and, judging from the 

 growth it is making, would soon cover a large territory. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. H. 



Scab-proof Apples. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The relation of the Apple-scab fungus to the different 

 varieties of Apples is an important one, and is worthy of careful 

 investigation. Dr. Hoskins, in Garden and Forest for 

 August 3d, p. 370, thinks one of my statements in the issue of 

 June 29th, p. 310, is too emphatic. I said then there are no 

 varieties of market apples in v\-estern New York which are 

 not subject to the attacks of the scab fungus. The statement 

 is a strong one, but I intended that it should be. Since Dr. 

 Hoskins has commented upon it I have reconsidered it care- 

 fully. I have also visited many orchards in western New 

 York, and a few days since I had the good fortune to be visited 

 by one of the mycologists of the Department of Agriculture. 

 We examined Baldwin trees in a commercial orchard, the 

 Baldwin being, perhaps, as nearly scab-proof as any of our 

 market varieties. The foliage was comparatively small and 

 gray, and stiff from the attacks of the fungus, and many of the 

 fruits themselves were scabby. I am convinced that my 

 former statement is true — that we have no market apples in 

 this region which are not subject to the scab to a detrimental 

 extent. In some years nearly all varieties escape, and some 

 varieties are more free from scab than others ; but there are 

 years in which all suffer, although not, perhaps, to an equal 

 extent. 



I cannot admit that the liability to attack of scab is an indi- 

 cation of a "constitutional defect" in such variety. I have not 

 yet seen any facts which would lead me to think that the 

 fungus attacks the less vigorous or less hardy varieties, using 

 the term hardy in its ordinary sense in the north, as an ability 

 to withstand untoward circumstances of climate and surround- 

 ings. I have not found that there is any decadence in the 

 constitutional vigor of varieties, as a whole, in recent times. 



One other important consideration must not be overlooked 

 here, and that is the fact that enemies often progress or de- 

 velop as rapidly as do the host plants. I imagine that by the 

 time we are able to breed scab-proof varieties — from the pres- 

 ent standpoint — our scab-fungus will have developed a capa- 

 bility to attack more uncongenial hosts. This is the common 

 history of injurious insects and fungi ; they take on new habits 

 to accommodate themselves to new conditions. It is possible 

 that a good market apple may spring up which is for the time 

 scab-proof; but when we have learned how to produce such 

 kinds with tolerable certainty, the enemy will have grown 

 cunning too, I fear. How many are the Pears which are sent 

 out as blight-proof, and yet in a few years they suffer with the 

 rest. We are in the habit of distrusting the originator who 

 makes this claim if it turns out false in after years, but I am 

 inclined to think that some of these varieties really are meas- 

 urably blight-proof at first. If the histories of varieties of 

 fruits could be written from the natural-history side, I fancy 

 that many of our notions would be upset. 



I would not discourage Dr. Hoskins' efforts toward scab- 

 proof apples, but I am not over-confident of success. For my 

 generation, at least, I must pin my faith to the squirt-gun. 



Cornell University. L. H. Bailey. 



The ten Mile Woods of Hartford. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — At the north end of Hartford, within the limits of the 

 city, begins a stretch of woodland interesting alike to the 

 student in natural science and history. The Tunxis, Podunks 

 and Poquanak Indians roamed in these now utterly neglected 

 woods, which reach out toward the ancient town of Windsor. 

 A large variety of native New England trees and shrubs grow 

 here in natural profusion and beauty ; wild Grape-vines encircle 

 the trunks of forest-giants, and berries of all kinds make lux- 

 uriant growth. Cardinal-flowers are just past their best bloom. 



There are Asters of many colors, and the white and blue Gen- 

 tian and the later fringed Gentian are abundant. Wild Lilies 

 thrive in the rich earth, and our American Nelumbium deco- 

 rates the still waters of the lakelets. In the spring the ground 

 is covered with Hepatica, Trailing Arbutus, "Trillium, Jack-in- 

 the-Pulpit and Dog-tooth Violets. Ferns grow luxuriantly, the 

 common Bracken pushing up to a height of six feet. There 

 are, besides the rare and beautiful climbing Fern, various 

 Polypodiums, Osmundas and Maiden-hairs. On the sand-dunes 

 the pink and blue Lupines flourish, and the clear and cold 

 trout streams are bordered with Sweet Fern. The stately heron 

 is at home in this tangled wild wood as well as all the song 

 birds of the region. 



Old residents remember these woods when they extended 

 nearly a mile farther south than their present limit, and within 

 my recollection they have been encroached upon from all 

 sides by clearings for agricultural purposes and by newly built 

 homes. There is left, notwithstanding the willfully arranged 

 annual spring and fall fires, a large tract of this desirable and 

 valuable forest. The Charter Oak City should acquire and own 

 that portion, now private property and subject to such destruc- 

 tive treatment as the whims and necessity of the present 

 owners may direct. Some months ago, on the recommenda- 

 tion of a number of citizens, the City Council took favorable 

 action in the matter of securing a tract of land near Trinity 

 College for park purposes. At that time the local press urged 

 that large outlying tracts be purchased by the city and con- 

 nected by improved road-ways, so as to make a continuous 

 drive leading up to the Ten Mile Woods, and Mr. Frederick 

 Law Olmsted clearly stated the desirability and value of such 

 ownership and improvement. 



Nothing has been done, however, toward preserving this 

 natural inheritance, which, properly treated, would be not only 

 a beautiful park and woodland, but would have a distinct value 

 for botanical study. In my opinion, too, if this forest were 

 managed on the most approved principles of forestry, its prod- 

 ucts would make the purchase a profitable investment for the 

 city. To the generous and patriotic tribute to our national 

 defenders in the soldiers' monument, the city should add the 

 purchase of the Ten Mile Woods, as an enduring, living 

 monument to peace and education. 



Hartford, Conn. WilhelmUia Seliger. 



Shrubs for a Screen. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The entrance to my place is a bank about seven feet in 

 height above the road, with a very sharp slope toward the 

 entrance-drive and a gradual descent on its other side. It is 

 about one hundred feet in length. I would like to plant it out 

 so as to give as much as possible the effect of retirement and 

 privacy. On the opposite side of the drive is the gate-lodge, 

 low and simple, and the surroundings are of the rather poor 

 Oak-forest, indigenous to the south side of Long Island. The 

 character of the country is such that this entrance should be 

 unobtrusive and not accentuated by masonry. 



I should like your advice as to the best shrubs to use in 

 planting. Rhododendrons are not suitable, as they only do 

 well here when shielded somewhat from the north winds and 

 the sun, and they also require a location where the moisture 

 does not immediately run off, as would be the case on the 

 bank in question. You will, I think, agree with me that, in 

 such a position as I have indicated, an evergreen character is 

 desirable — or, at any rate, that shrubs should be selected 

 which retain their foliage late in the season. I do not fancy 

 conifers for covering the bank, although a few might be 

 judiciously introduced. It may be added, that the situation is 

 favorable for a carpet of Periwinkle where desired. 



Oakdale, L. I. C. B. W. 



[It is not easy to give a planthig list for a place which one 

 has never seen, but it seems that the desire of our corre- 

 spondent for unobtrusive plants could not be better obtained 

 than by using largely some of our native deciduous shrubs. 

 Viburnums and Cornels are good to begin with, and among 

 these we would suggest Viburnum dentatum and V. cas- 

 sinoides as having the best foliage, while V. Lentago could 

 be used where taller growth is wanted. Among the Cornels 

 could be used Cornus sericea and C. paniculata, with C. 

 stolonifera, and more especially C. alba, to brighten the 

 shrubbery with their stems in winter. Several of the 

 Barberries might well be introduced, and an occasional 

 plant or two of Leatherwood would help to make the 



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