December 21, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



611 



ing out readily. One bushel of cones will yield less than 

 half a pound of pure seed. In Germany the cones of Scotch 

 Pine are sometimes spread tit once over seed-places, and 

 after sunny days turned with brooms to let the seed drop. 

 Rainy days close the cones again. 



(4) I would suggest that a more liberal use of seed would 

 in the end be more economical, for the vicissitudes to 

 which the seed is exposed under the unattended conditions 

 of the forest-grovifth — different from nursery conditions — 

 will necessarily prevent many from germinating ; hence an 

 abundant supply, say at the rate of three to four pounds per 

 acre, promises surer success. I would caution those who 

 propose to sow White Pine under the shade of older trees 

 to make sure that the shade is not too dense and that it is 

 soon enough removed. The absence of reproduction of 

 White Pine in our forests, which has led lumbermen to 

 deny that it can be reproduced at all, is probably largely 

 due to the unfavorable light conditions which the seedlings 

 find in the culled forest, where the shade kills them 

 eventually. 



(5) While the argument that it is more profitable to grow 

 bo.x-board pine than clear lumber pine may be correct, 

 the writer owes us the proof or at least the basis for his 

 assertion. I admit that profitableness of forest-culture, 

 especially a comparison of the profitableness of two differ- 

 ent methods of forest-management in the United States, is 

 a matter almost impossible to discuss on account of the many 

 uncertain and changeable quantities in the calculation. But 

 it would have been possible to furnish some of the facts that 

 need to be known even to estimate possibilities, namely, 

 the quantity of material produced, and its quality at differ- 

 ent ages per acre, and present prices for such amounts and 

 qualities, when, together with an interest calculation on 

 expenditures, the greater or lesser profitableness might be 

 estimated. I have no reliable definite data as to yield from 

 which to calculate the comparative profitableness of white 

 pine under the given conditions. Possibilities, however, 

 may be figured as follows : An acre of White Pine on poor 

 soil may yield at thirty-five years 3, 000 feet of box-boards at 

 ten dollars a thousand, and ten cords of fire-wood at fifty 

 cents a cord, or altogether twenty-five dollars. At eighty- 

 five years we might expect from the same acre besides 

 some ten cords of fire-wood taken in thinnings, if well man- 

 aged, at the very least 8,000 feet B. M. of varying qualities, 

 averaging at least sixteen dollars a thousand, and in ad- 

 dition forty cords of fire-wood at probably more than 

 fifty cents, because containing more split-wood, the wood 

 crop altogetheramountingtoat least $148.00 per acre. If we 

 had bought the acre at thirty-five years afterplantingforthe 

 twenty-five dollars which its crop represented, this would 

 represent compound interest at more than ten per cent. It is 

 to be expected that prices for white pine will have considera- 

 bly appreciated in fifty years, and the yield by proper man- 

 agementcouldcertainlybeincreasedby fiftypercent., which 

 would bring it to what is expected of Spruce in Germany 

 on third-class soil. If Mr. Hersey has reliable figures to 

 show otherwise, I should be glad to see them. 



Washington, D. C. ^. JP, FerllOW. 



Correspondence. 



The Texas Barberry. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest ; 



Sir, — Berberis tritoliata, which your correspondent from 

 Texas describes as such an attractive shrub, is hardy in Ger- 

 mantown. Last winter it had not the least covering, and it was 

 not injured a particle. I have no doubt that if set in a clump of 

 evergreens which would protect it, it would live out still farther 

 north. The China tree has also attained sufficient size here to 

 bear flowers and fruits. Many southern trees only need to be 

 protected for a few years, after which they can take care of 

 themselves. A further example of this is shown in two plants 

 of Halesia diperta, which came from Kentucky. For several 

 years in succession they were partly winter-killed, but for 

 some years past they have not been injured, and now they 

 flower and bear seeds every summer. ^ ,, ,, , 



Germantown. Pa. . Joseph Meehan. 



Meehan's Halesia. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — I have often thought that the word "never" is a dan- 

 gerous one for horticulturists or botanists to use. In the notes 

 I furnished to Professor Sargent regarding Halesia tetraptera 

 Meehani, which was figured in your issue of November 

 9th, it was said to be sterile or, at least, that we never found 

 more than two or three seeds on the tree. That was true up 

 to the present year when, as if to contradict me, the tree has 

 borne, in the language of my foreman, a "soap-box full of 

 seeds." Last year we had three seeds which were sown, and 

 one of these grew this spring, and, so far as I am able to 

 judge from the leaves, it is in every respect a normal Halesia 

 tetraptera. 



Germantown, Pa. Thomas Meehan. 



Gardening Beside a Hot Spring. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — An interesting use of the water from some hot sulphur 

 springs is being made by the Stanford family in Alameda 

 County, California. One of the landmarks of the region is 

 Mission Peak, at the base of which the Spanish settlers founded 

 the old mission San Jose. One reason why the padres chose 

 this place was because there was a fine group of hot sulphur 

 springs, a few miles south, within easy reach. In fact, the 

 mission would probably have been located at the latter point 

 if there had been a large stream of cold water there. After the 

 American occupation, a famous hotel was built at the " Warm 

 Springs," and large numbers of guests came there by stage. 

 The old register is full of the names of noted politicians and 

 other celebrities of thirty years ago. Governor (now Senator) 

 Leland Stanford purchased the ranch, and a few years later 

 it became the property of his brother, the late Josiah Stanford, 

 whose family make it their summer home. The great hill 

 pastures have been transformed into vineyards of extreme 

 productiveness and value, the district being "on limestone " 

 and frostless. 



But the particular attraction at the old " Warm Sprino-s 

 ranch" is now the use that is made of the surplus water. 

 The temperature as it issues boiling from the cement-walled 

 springs is about eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit. The supply 

 is so great that, a few years ago, the owners began to irrigate 

 the orchard, the garden of vegetables and the pleasure-grou^nds 

 on the slopes of the hill. Everything flourished marvelously. 

 The sediment was abundantly deposited along the channels, 

 to be turned under by spade or plow, but no evil effects 

 followed the use of the water. 



Next, a large cement reservoir, low and broad, was con- 

 structed on the lawn, with small jets, and a fountain in the 

 centre, 'and an attempt to grow Water-lilies was commenced 

 here. The family grew interested, and Mr. Josiah Stanford, 

 Jr., soon extended his experiments, until he now grows 

 twenty-five or more species of the best aquatic plants that 

 he has been able to procure. The water-tanks are not roofed 

 over with glass, or in any way protected during the winter 

 season. 



Of the native American aquatics, Mr. Stanford grows 

 Nymph?ea odorata, N. flava, Orontium aquaticum, Ponde- 

 teria cordata, Sagittaria variabilis, Nuphar sagittafolia, Nelum- 

 bium luteum, and a number of other species and sub-species. 

 Of the exotic aquatics, he has Nymphrea Devoniensis, N. 

 ccerulea, N. Lotus, N. dentata, N. scutifolia, the pink Japa- 

 nese Lotus, the large White Lotus, Nymphsea cyanea, Trapa 

 bicormis, or Water-nut of China, Nelumbium speciosum of 

 India, Papyrus antiquorum, some of the Richardias, tlie laro-e 

 white Australian Water-lily, and some other species wliose 

 names I have not obtained. 



He received three plants of the Victoria regia, grown at 

 the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, but this Lily is very hard 

 to move, even when small, and they soon died. He expects, 

 however, to grow it from seed, and there seems no reason to 

 doubt his success, as a temperature of from eighty to eighty- 

 five degrees, Fahrenheit, can easily be had in the water. I 

 should judge that the sheltered ravine in which the warm 

 springs are situated would never be colder than sixty-five de- 

 grees at night, and, all things considered, Mr. Stanford will 

 probably succeed with his giant Water-lilies. 



It is to be remembered that the warm springs are less than 

 forty miles from San Francisco, in a district where the decidu- 

 ous fruits compose the bulk of the orchards. Olive, Orange 

 and Lemon-trees are planted to some extent along the val- 

 ley's rim, near the hills. The springs seem to raise the temper- 

 ature, and modify the climate of a small area about the mouth 



