April i8, iSSS,] 



Garden and Forest. 



91 



flowered the next summer in about the same style as they did 

 the previous year. 



It is a desirable garden plant because it is the latest bloom- 

 ing' of all the known species, coming in when A. chrysantha, 

 the next latest, is still in good flower, and continuingin blossom 

 long after that species has ceased to bloom. It is less robust 

 and less profuse than A. chrysantha, and its flowers are of a 

 paler yellow shade and less showy. But its long slender spurs 

 have a weird appearance and hang about the flower branches 

 like strings of yellow Dodder. The spurs on the cultivated 

 plants were from 3 to 6 inches in length and averaged about 

 4^ inches ; indeed, they gave the impression that it was on 

 account of their weight that the flowers " looked up" so much. 

 None of the cultivated plants were ever known to produce any 

 seed. 



Since coming here I have been very anxious to obtain a 

 plant of this strange Columbine, and with this end in view 

 have sent to Cambridge, and also to all the correspondents 

 to whom I had sent plants, and in all cases have been inform- 

 ed that the plants have died. It is now entirely lost to cultiva- 

 tion. But although in its native habitats " the knov\'n localities 

 are not readily accessible." I hope we shall soon again have 

 the pleasure of seeing it in our gardens. 



In June, 1886, Dr. Asa Gray told me he had, two years be- 

 fore, given plants of it to Mrs. Pickering, of Har\'ard College 

 Observatory, and that they had grown and flowered remarka- 

 bly well with her. Mrs. Pickering is an enthusiastic and most 

 successful grower of garden flowers and has a very select 

 collection. I at once wrote to her, and she replied that her 

 plants had died the previous winter. In a subsequent letter 

 she gives me more particulars : " I tried one plant in the cold- 

 frame, and transplanted the other in spring and fall. The one 

 in the frame died first. The other was left out one winter and 

 disappeared. The transplanted one did well for two summers, 

 giving eight or ten flowers later than the other Columbines. 

 The roots were so very long it was difficult to transplant it, but 

 it did not seem to sutler materially in consequence. I liked 

 the plant. The flowers were very showv in individual vases. 

 But it was not as beautiful as A. chrysan/ha, the next in size, 

 and which is to me tlie most beautifid of all the Columbines. 

 I was sorry to fail with this Columbine, as I have never failed 

 with Columbines before." 



I feel assured that the plant is not very hardy, and should 

 we get it again, it must be wintered in a frame. But if a 

 perennial supply of seed be not obtained I fear we cannot 

 keep it long after we do get it, for Columbines are not long- 

 lived perennials, and propagation by means_ of division will 

 be uncertain. 



Glen Cove, Long Island. IV)II. FalcOmr. 



Cultural Department. 



Small Fruits for Home Use. 



"T^HE Strawberry that will prove equally good on all soils, and 

 ^ under all conditions, has not yet been produced, and 

 probably never will be. The same is true of otherfruits, which 

 accounts for the conflicting opinions as to the merits of the vari- 

 ous kinds. If earliness, profuse bearing and acidity are desir- 

 al:)le, the wants of the grower would be siqjplied by Crescent, 

 May King and Manchester. If he requires quality with earli- 

 ness, Cumberland would be better. If quality is more im- 

 portant than earliness. Downing, Prince, Belmont or Bidwell 

 would answer. If size and beauty are wanted, Jewell will 

 furnish these, and a good quality as well, and so will Jersev 

 Queen, with a higher degree of acidity and flavor. If extra 

 size, and sweetness without high flavor, are more desirable 

 than heavy cropping, they can be foimd in Sharpless or Davis; 

 and so the list might be varied ad infinitum. Numbers of new 

 varieties are constantly being produced and tested, but time 

 is required to determine their relative merits for general 

 planting. Those named are the leading kinds of established 

 reputation, and from them all reasonable requirements for 

 home use can be fully met. 



It is not advisable for the inexperienced to confine his plant- 

 ing to one or two sorts, a half dozen would cover the season 

 better, and if one or more should fail from want of congenial 

 soil or other cause, the others would be more likely to supply 

 the deficiency. 



As the Strawberry supply draws to a close the Black Cap 

 Raspberry begins, the Souhegan being among the earliest and 

 best. Possibly the new Carman may prove a formidable com- 

 petitor — it certainly will if it maintains the promise it made in 

 its original home. The Gregg is the largest of the Black Caps 

 so far tried, as well as the latest. It is less juicy and more 



solid than the others named and the canes are not quite as 

 hardy; otherwise Black Caps do not VLU'y materially, and all 

 are so seedy that they are often refused by persons of delicate 

 organization, or perhaps disorganization is a better name for 

 this weakness of digestion. The Shaffer is a dull purplish-red 

 berry, of the Cap variety, of immense size, of fair qualitv 

 and especially valuable for canning. It is the strongest 

 grower of all and very producfive. The Caroline, a salmon- 

 yellow hybrid of the Cap and Antwerp, is a gem for family use. 

 It is as early as Souhegan, and its delicate texture, fine flavoi', 

 immense productiveness and thorough hardiness make it a 

 great favorite. The new Golden Queen may prove its equal, 

 but if is diflicult to imagine how it can be any better. 



Of the red varieties the Early Prolific has always given me 

 satisfaction for good size, earliness and productiveness ; its 

 quality is not of the best, but all earlier varieties are either too 

 small, unproductive or inferior in equality. The Cuthbert is 

 the most popular of the red varieties for home use; it is large, 

 prolific and of good ciuality, of vigorous growth and suckers 

 abundantly. The destruction of the superfluous plants in all 

 of the red varieties is essential to the most satisfactory results. 

 The Marlboro' and Montclair, though not so well known or 

 widely disseminated, are quite as good for family use on soils 

 adapted to their growth, being as large and sweeter in flavor. 

 Here also adaptability to soil and freedom from disease must 

 be considered. The various fungus-diseases attacking red 

 Raspberries have not attracted the attention of mycologists to 

 the extent they deserve, and we know little about them save 

 their destructiveness. 



Plants on rich soil and mulcheel in a dry time, are, I think, 

 less liable to attacks of these fungi than those under opposite 

 conditions. No two persons would agree on the same list of 

 Rasplierries, although the foregoing are the best of the most 

 popiflar kinds for family use. The exacting amateur will 

 demand the foreign sorts, which are not hardy in this climate 

 without protection. E. Williams. 



Montclair, N.J. 



The Kitchen Garden. 



HERE, on Long Island, about the middle of April, we are 

 sowing and planting all the hardy vegetables and pre- 

 paring our ground for the tenderer crops. I endeavor to have 

 all empty ground cleared, manured and dug in fall to lessen 

 the spring work. Crops do better than in land freshly ma- 

 nured in spring. It is not necessary to fork over light orsandy 

 land, that lies high and dry, in spring. The surface should be 

 raked smooth with a wooden rake, and then lined off for sow- 

 ing seed or setting out plants. But heavy land, or even light 

 land that has lain under water during winter, sliould be forked 

 over. Never put a plow, spade or fork into heavy land till it 

 is dry and mellow. I begin working our high, sandy land 

 about the end of March, and our deep, level garden soil about 

 the second week in April ; but we have a springy piece of 

 ground, which, although thrown up in ridges over winter, is 

 not fit for the spade till the end of May. 



The kitchen gardens on private grounds are generally laid 

 out and cut up into squares in such a fashion as to render the 

 use of the plow in them impracticable ; indeed, old-country 

 gardeners, as a rule, have a prejudice against the plow in the 

 kitchen garden. But no spade or fork can prepare and pul- 

 verize soil for crops as well as can the plow and harrow. True, 

 by hand power we can crop our gardens closer than by horse 

 power, but the saving in labor and time is immense. While it 

 would be well to have a garden where Chives, Parsley, 

 Radishes, herlis for seasoning, and such miscellaneous little 

 things of which we need only a small quantity at a time, could 

 be grown, we should try to have our heavy crops, as Corn, Po- 

 tatoes, Cauliflower, Tomatoes, Beans, Peas and the like, in an 

 open area, where we could use horse power. 



And in preparing ground a common digging fork does far 

 better work than the spade, and with less effort, and for level- 

 ing and smoothing ground a wooden toothed rake is better 

 than an iron one. 



It is only the vegetable garden, but try for an air of neatness 

 about it. See that the beds are square and the drills straight. 

 Do not use up open ground for Spinach, Lettuces, Radishes or 

 other crops that can" be slipped in between larger ones. Do 

 not have a lot of unused ground at any time ; put in some- 

 thing, if only Lettuces, Cabbages or Beans, to feed to the ani- 

 mals. After Spinach, Beans, Peas, Beets or anything else 

 becomes too old for culinary purposes, clear them away at 

 once. Do not put in more of a crop at a time than you will 

 need ; it is useless labor and expense. And especially look to 

 this in spring; it is not a large quantity of any one thing we 



