April ii, 1888.] 



Garden and Forest. 



// 



usual accessories, are sufficiently well adapted to aid in the 

 pleasurable impression which the big, showy moiiLiments 

 and the ribbon-gardening make upon this class of visitors. 



The custom of making a display of pretty tlower-beds is 

 questionable. A cemetery should be built, plarmed and 

 maintained with sole regard to its prime purpose, and 

 every respect should be shown for the feelings and senti- 

 ments of mourners and those who visit the place in a 

 serious and contemplative frame of mind. Not that there 

 should be a prevailing aspect of gloom and sadness, or 

 anything approaching desolation and dreariness ; but cer- 

 tainly any appearance of gaity and festivity, and all bright, 

 lively, ephemeral decoration such as might be appropriate 

 to certain kinds Of pleasure-gardens, should be carefuU)'' 

 avoided. 



The best that planting can do for a cemetery is to give 

 an appearance of unity to a necessarily more or less 

 heterogeneous collection of individual monuments ; togi\'e 

 as much sense of seclusion to all parts of the grounds as 

 possible ; to isolate each monument from its neighbors ; 

 and to form a background and frame to each important 

 monument. A certain kind of decorative planting is ad- 

 missible, on the same principle that picture frames may 

 be decorated. That is, it should be in keeping with and 

 subordinate to the greater work of art which calls it into 

 existence, but it should be used very moderately and with 

 careful discrimination, else it had far lietter be omitted. 

 Simplicity is the safest rule to follow in most instances. 



Brookline, Mass. /. C. Olmsted. 



A Disease of Certain Japanese Shrubs. 



IN regard to Professor Giljlis' very interesting communica- 

 tion, p. 40, I would say that I have noted this disease for a 

 good many years. We call it the Japanese "die-back." The 

 cause thereof I know not, but I have observed that it is 

 aggravated when the plants are gniwn under unfavorable con- 

 ditions. As a rule, Japanese trees antl shrubs dislike drought 

 in summer or winter, hot sunshine at any time, and e.xposure 

 to searing winds in winter. I have found that Japanese Maples 

 grown in good loamy, moist ground, well shelteretl, and faintly 

 shaded in summer, are very little affected by the " ilie-back," 

 but when grown in exposed situations and dryish sandy land, 

 they are very suliject to it. 



Cercis Japonica with us has the tips of its shoots killed back 

 a little every winter, but otherwise it behaves very well. 

 Exochorda grandiflora does not seem affected. Staphylca 

 Colchica suti'ers in this way. Vibui'iiitm plicatum (Joes not 

 show this disease in our garden, but I know of it in New Jer- 

 sey, where it is not only aftected l>y this disease, but the ends 

 of the shoots get killed fiack nearly every year as if it were not 

 hardy enough. Ccrcidipliyllum is hardv and healthy with us ; 

 so, too, is Elsagniis longipcs. Ampclopsis tricuspidata gets 

 killed back a good deal m winter, but seems to enjoy immu- 

 nity from the sunmier " die-liack." 



But we have other than Japanese shrubs that are affected 

 with summer "die-back." Take, for instance, our native 

 Hydrangea qiieycifolia ; it is as bad, or worse, in this respect, 

 than a Japanese Maple. And what can lie worse in this way 

 than Rhus Coiinusi Even of old antl apparently most 

 healthy specimens, half the bush will sometimes die back to 

 the ground in summer, and unaccountably. Deciduous Aza- 

 leas likewise die back a deal in summer, but in their case 

 especially I am certain the disease is greatly agg-ravated by un- 

 favorable conditions of cultivation. /?/«. Fclconcr. 



Fruit Growing in Florida. 



'TEARING up the subject of fruit culture in Florida at the 

 ■"■ point marked by the "semi-centennial freeze" of 1886, it 

 may be said that the Orange, Lemon and other Citrus fruits 

 have held their own, and that the crop of fruit next winter is 

 likely to be four times as large as that which was nipped 

 by tlie memorable frost. 



Before the frost some little interest had been aroused in cer- 

 tain other fruits that had recently been introduced, and during 

 the following year their merits were discussed with eager 

 interest, for public confidence in the Orange had, in fact, been 

 seriously shaken, and the importance of diversification was 

 generally conceded. 



The most noted of these new fruits were those odd Chinese 

 Peaches, the Honey and Peen-to, the former with a beak-like 



point, and tlic latter drawn in at both ends like a certain style 

 of pin-cushion, The Le Conte and Keifter Pears were also 

 much talked of, and likewise the Japan Persimmon. On these 

 the Florida nurserymen bestowed much attention in 1886, and 

 still UKjre in the following year, the demand for such stock in- 

 creasing enormously. There are nearly 100 nurseries named 

 and advertised in Florida, yet the population of the State, 

 including negroes, is only about 400,000, Large orders for 

 young Orange trees were received from California last winter, 

 and tens of thousands were shipped to that State. 



In 1886 one of the Japan Plums, which came fronr California 

 nurseries vnider the name of Kelsey's Plum, was fruited in 

 Florida from a bud of the previous year. It proved to be 

 remarkably vigorous and precocious, bearing fruit of large 

 size (over two inches in diameter), of line flavor, with small 

 pits, not subject to curculio — in short, a marvelously fine Plum, 

 in all respects. During the same year some seedlings — per- 

 haps hybrids — of the Chinese Peaches were brought to notice, 

 and mu'serymen have made a specialty of them. They are 

 superior to the originals, and the tendency to variation indi- 

 cates that, by selection, still better varieties may be obtainetl in 

 the future. 



Of the Pears mentioned, the Le Conte has grown steadily in 

 favor. In the country around Tallahassee it was a source of 

 considerable revenue last year, and plans are on foot for estab- 

 lishing" an exchange for handling thlb^ year's crop. As to the 

 Japan Persimmon, the only question is in regard to its quali- 

 ties as a marketable fruit. It is hardy, healthy, and precocious 

 in bearing, but, like the Loquat, its status is not fully deter- 

 mined. Both of these trees, as to foliage and fruit, are verv 

 ornamental, and are great acquisitions to the orchard, if onlv 

 for home use. The same may lie said of the Guava, which is 

 scarcely less valuable to the people of the southern half of 

 Florida than is the apple in more northern States. 



The Grape is another fruit that has accpiired prominence 

 since the freeze of 1886. European grape-growers have estab- 

 lished extensive vineyards in certain localities and have found 

 some varieties to do remarkably well. Professor E. Didjois 

 makes a specialty of wine-grapes. He is enthusiastic in 

 praise of the Cynthiana and Norton's Virginia, two seedlings 

 of Vitis cvstivalis. 



The Fig, Pomegranate, Mulberry and Olive have long Ijeeu 

 cultivated in Florida, and deserve more attention than thev 

 receive. The Fig grows almost spontaneously. The varietv 

 so extensively imported succeeds finely, and, with proper 

 appliances for drying', it ought to be grown prolitably for 

 market. In the northern counties considerable attention has 

 lieen bestowed on the Pecan and the English Walnut, and 

 many plantations of them are growing. The Almonds and 

 foreign Chestnuts may also be grown tor home use. 



To summarize, the present aspect of fruit-culture in Florida 

 may be stated as follows : On the southern coast Pineapples 

 are grown for market in large quantity, and large plantations 

 of Cocoanuts have been started. Many other West Indian 

 fruits are grown there for home use. Throughout the south- 

 ern half of the peninsula the Pineapple and Banana fruit well, 

 and the latter is grown for ornament throughout the State. 

 The Mango, Avocado Pear, Sugar Apple, Sapodilla, and 

 some other suli-tropical fruits, succeed well as far north as 

 Tampa Bay, and Guavas nearly to the northern border, but a 

 cold wave like that of 1886 will cut them down. All the fruits 

 previously mentioned do well, except in the southernmost 

 counties. 



The fruits sliipped out of the State rate in importance aliout 

 as follows : Oranges, Pineapples, Strawberries, Pears, Peaches, 

 Grapes and Persimmons, The Apricot, Quince and Apple are 

 occasionally met with. The latter promises to succeed best 

 grafted on the Pear. Of Plums, numerous varieties are in cul- 

 tivation, the Wild Goose and Marianna lieing the best native 

 varieties, and Kelsey's the best of the Japanese, with numerous 

 others yet to be introduced. Of Peaches, tlie Peen-to and its 

 seedlings succeed well in sandy lands, and some varieties of 

 the Persian strain where there is clay sub soil. 



Taking a brief retrospect, it is evident that horticulture in 

 Florida has made greater advances within the last two years 

 than during anv four years in her previous history, Hundretls 

 of thousands of deciduous fruit-trees and vines have been 

 planted. New varieties have been tested. More attention has 

 been given to the science of horticulture. .k reform in the 

 system of selling and shipping Oranges and other fruits is in 

 progress. Improved transportation and appliances for refrig- 

 eration are being provided. Fruit-growing is steadily increas- 

 ing in importance, and in most portions of the State it will long 

 continue to be the favorite industry. A. H. Curtiss. 



J.nclcsnnville, Fla. 



