48 



Garden and Forest. 



[March 21 



Recent Publications. 



Review of Forest Administration in British India for the 

 year i88s-S6, by B. Ribbentrop.Actinglnspector-General, Indian 

 Forest Department. Simla, 1887. Report of the Forest Depart- 

 ment, Madras Presidency, for the year i8Sj-86, by Lt.-Col. I. 

 Cambeld Walker. Madras, 1887. 



These two Reports have only just reached us. They con- 

 tain the record of the work done in the Indian forests, with its 

 iinancial results, for the period which they cover. The Indian 

 Forest Department is less than a quarter of a century old. 

 Its organization by Dr. Brandis in the face of sei-ious native 

 opposition, great natural difficulties, and without, at the start, 

 a properly trained staff of assistants, is one of the greatest ad- 

 ministrative triumphs of recent times. 



The Indian forests, previous to the establishment of the 

 Forest Department, yielded nothing to the Government. In the 

 years covered by these Reports the net profit derived from 

 working them systematically was over three and one-half 

 million dollars, the operating expenses amounting to sixty- 

 three per cent, of the gross revenue. The net receipts of the 

 Department have increased steachly for a number of years ; 

 and they will, it seems pretty safe to predict, continue to 

 increase as long as it is administered in the same able 

 manner. 



The history of forest administration in India might be 

 studied with advantage by the Secretary of the Interior and 

 members of Congress of the United States. The forests which 

 grow upon our national domain produce no income. The 

 land upon which they stand is sold sometimes at a mere nom- 

 inal price, and while the Government is waitingfor customers 

 the forests themselves are robbed of their best timber, burned, 

 pastured, devastated and destroyed. 



Recent Plant Portraits. 



Botanical Magazine, January, Phoriniiiin Hool;eri, t. 6973 ; a 

 third species of the New Zealand Flax ; discovered several 

 years ago on the Waitangi River "growing pendulous from 

 almost perpendicular rocks, in great abundance " ; and now 

 cultivated in southern England, where it flowers and ripens its 

 seed very freely. 



Ceratothica triloba, t. 6974 ; a tall pubescent herlj with the 

 habit of a Foxglove, native of Natal and closely allied to the 

 common cultivated Indian Sesanntm Indiciim, L. 



Thunbergia affinis, t. 6975 ; a tall shrub, a native of Zanzibar, 

 with handsome dark blue flowers, similar, although far more 

 beautiful, than those of the old T. erecta. 



Prunus Jacqueinoniii, t. 6gy6 ; a dwarf, compact, hardy 

 shrub, with delicate pink flowers ; common in the north- 

 western Himalayas and extending into Thibet and Afghanistan. 



Masdevallia Chcsterioni, /. 6977; a rather small flowered, and, 

 horticulturally, not very attractive species of this immense 

 genus ; a native of New Grenada. 



Periodical Literature. 



nPHE Art Amateur for January, 1888, contains a pleasant and 

 -'- suggestive paper on Japanese modes of arranging cut 

 flowers, leaves and branches. The matter is one wliich the 

 Japanese only Iiave considered from an artistic point of view, 

 but whicli certainly ought to be so considered by all who pro- 

 fess to care for flowers or for beauty in the abstract. There- 

 fore this article is welcome, although it gives but a hint of the 

 great stress which the educational systems of Japan lay upon 

 the art of floral arrangement, and explains, with the aid of il- 

 lustrations, only one or two of the effects they consider de- 

 sirable, and one or two of the skillful and ingenious devices in 

 which tlie student is instructed. 



Cassell's Family Magasine -will print during the year a series 

 of popular articles treating of the garden and the work to be 

 done in it during each successive month. "The Garden in 

 January" and "The Garden in February" have already ap- 

 peared ; and while they naturally have a greater practical value 

 for the English than for the American reader, they are by no 

 means devoid of interest even for the latter. 



Longman s Magazine iot Feliruary, 1888, contains a brightly 

 written chapter on "Orchids," by Frederick Boyle, a man of 

 letters by profession, but an enthusiastic, and, from his own 

 account, a successful horticulturist in his leisure hours. It is 

 accompanied by none of the charming illustrations which 

 have been given with articles on the same subject in more 



tlian one of our own popular magazines, and its'purpose is not, 

 like theirs, descriptive. Its purpose is simply to prove to those 

 wlio are already well aware of the beauty of Orchids, that it is 

 by no means so difflcuult a task as amateurs generally sup- 

 pose, to grow many species to perfection by the aid of the sim- 

 plest arrangements and with the expenditure of very little time 

 or pains. 



In McMillan's Magazine for January, 1888, Forestry is dis- 

 cussed by Mr. George Cadell, formerly connected with the In- 

 dian Forestry Department. Some time ago the House of 

 Commons for the third time appointed a Commission to in- 

 quire "Whether by the establishment of a forest school, or 

 otherwise, our waste lands could be made more remunera- 

 tive." At the time when Mr. Cadell wrote, this Commission 

 had reported to Parliament, but no action had yet been taken 

 on its report. Meanwhile he discusses the condition of the 

 Crown forests in England, briefly explains the management of 

 those in India, refers to the great benefits which France and 

 Switzerland have received from a judicious system of control, 

 and points out as a subject for national mortification that both 

 at the Cape and in Cyprus, England has been obliged to depend 

 upon the services of foreign experts in Forestry. 



Flower Market. 



New York, March i6th, 1888. 



The quality of cut flowers is much better this week than last, not- 

 withstanding a large quantity has been held on snow-bound trains. 

 Hybrid Roses are very handsome, but have declined somewhat, those 

 selected of favorite sorts bringing only 60 to 75 cts. each. There was 

 no demand for flowers during the storm of the early week, but trade 

 has been picking up since and is brisk to-day. There is an over sup- 

 ply of La France Roses, the very choicest bringing but $2.50 a dozen. 

 The finest Puritans sell for 50 cts. Ulrich Brunner sells rapidly at 75 

 cts. a flower. Popular varieties of Tea Roses, such as Papa Gontier, 

 bring $1.00 a dozen. Selected buds of Bride or Cornelia Cook cost 

 83.00 a dozen. Tulips, Lilies-of-the-Valley and Roman Hyacinths are 

 75 cts. a dozen. Dutch Hyacinths are in large variety and in lively 

 demand at 15 cts. a spike; Mignonette from 50 cts. to $1.50 a dozen 

 spikes ; Carnations from 35 cts. to 50 cts. a dozen, the latter price 

 being for favorite kinds, such as Buttercup and Grace Wilder. Violets 

 continue firm at $1.00 a hundred for the average quality and Si. 50 

 for those of extra beauty and fragrance. Smilax costs 30 cts. a yard. 



Philadelphia, March ibth- 



The severe snow storm prevented growers from 'shipping flowers to 

 the city in the early part of the week. It also interfered with the 

 demand and prices have varied little since last quotations. The most 

 notable Rose now in market is Madame Gabriel Luizet. Finer flowers of 

 this variety were never before seen here ; they are selling from 75 cts. 

 to $1.50 each. Mrs. John Laing is also cut in quantity ; the latter is 

 the newer, but it can never displace Madame Luizet, excepting, per- 

 haps, for very early work. Puritans are improving in quality, and 

 are in fair demand ; it is not a first-class Rose to ship long distances; 

 some of the growers bring it to the city in deep boxes of moss, into 

 which the stems are thrust; this holds them steady and upright and in- 

 sures safe arrival. Heath is in fair demand at 15 cts. per spray. The 

 kind offered is a variety of Erica caffra alha, and is grown near Boston. 

 It is rarely used alone, but is added to boxes of choice flowers, or is 

 arranged with Orchids. 



Boston, March ibth. 



There is little change in the cut-flower market. Hybrid Roses and 

 Jacqueminots are if anything more abundant and of still better quality. 

 IBoth yellow and white Roses are scarce and they are eagerly taken as 

 fast as brought to the city by the growers. Tulips, Lilies-of-the- 

 Valley, and other bulbous flowers are still plentiful. Roman Hyacinths 

 are scarce, but in their stead there is an abundance of the Italian 

 variety, which, although slightly pinkish in color, has the advantage of 

 bearing a larger and stronger flowerspike than does the Roman. The 

 supply of Carnations is diminishing, and prices will undoubtedly 

 advance considerably before Easter. A few White Lilies are seen, but 

 they are mostly short stemmed and are of little use excepting for 

 funeral designs. Harris's Lilies and Callas are worth S3. 00 per dozen. 

 Most people in buying Callas now require a few of the leaves with the 

 flowers, which add much to their appearance. Hybrid Roses of extra 

 quality bring from $6 to S9 per dozen. Jacqueminots, Mermets and a fair 

 quality of hybrids are S3-00 ; Pedes, Niphetos and Bon Silene, %\ per 

 dozen; Lilies-of-the-Valley, Tulips and Narcissus of various kinds aver- 

 age aboutji.oo per dozen. French Marguerites, Mignonette, Forget-me- 

 nots, Carnations and Heliotrope sell for about 50 cts. per dozen sprays; 

 Pansies and Violets 50 cts. per bunch. Among Orchids the most attrac- 

 tive now in season are the Odontoglossums. Nothing more beautiful 

 for a bridal wreath or coronet than a spray of O. Alexandree. 

 Perfect sprays are worth from $2.00 to $3.00 each. 



