148 



Garden and Forest. 



[May 23, iS 



If one were to ask, more in particular, the occasions for 

 this dissatisfaction, tlie complaints would probably be 

 made that the monuments, though costly and made in a suf- 

 ficiently workmanlike manner, are so generally common- 

 place and devoid of originality and imagination ; that the 

 habitual use of white stone amidst green verdure forms too 

 violent and too frequent contrasts ; that the incongruities 

 between the monuments are intensified bj'' their being 

 crowded together while but little attempt is made to screen 

 one from another ; that the monuments, their decorations, 

 and their architectural and gardening accessories are so 

 often entirely inappropriate to the purpose in view ; and 

 that the necessary and unnecessary artificial objects are 

 multiplied to such an extent as to completely dominate and 

 sometimes even obliterate the natural elements which can 

 alone give any excuse for the use of the term rural as ap- 

 plied to a cemetery. 



There is sufficient ground for these complaints to en- 

 force the reflection that whatever is built by man can be 

 designed and executed with due regard to artistic as well 

 as to mechanical principles. There are canons of good 

 taste which should be as well known to landscape garden- 

 ers as to architects and other artists, and these, if intelligent- 

 ly applied to rural cemeteries, even though by men whose 

 artistic ability is not the very highest, would secure far 

 better results than those to which we are now accustomed. 



7. C. Olmsted. 



Foreign Correspondence. 

 London Letter. 



THERE was a fair crop of new and rare plants exhib- 

 ited at the Royal Horticultural Society's meeting 

 yesterday and thirteen certificates of the first class were 

 awarded. The finest plant at the meeting happened to be 

 an old green-house climber Big noma Tweedieana, first intro- 

 duced to Europe from Buenos Ayres fifty years ago. But it 

 has never been shown in such perfection before, otherwise 

 it would have been awarded a certificate, as it was by a 

 unanimous committee on this occasion. Like most other 

 Bignonias, it is a shrubby climber, having long slender 

 shoots, which (as the specimens showed) become wreathed 

 with a profusion of large showy flowers of a rich warm 

 yellow. They are fully three inches across and remind 

 one of an Allamanda, but is afar more graceful and pleasing 

 plant. It has been commonly grown in England as a 

 stove climber, but now it appears that it wants a green- 

 house temperature in order to flower well. In any case it 

 well repays any amount of attention, if it can be made to 

 bloom freely, as these specimens from Pendell Court. 



Another plant of importance was a variegated leaved 

 form of the common Coidyline indivisa, erroneously called 

 DraccBiia mdivisa. It has a symmetrical tuft of long, narrow 

 leaves, which, in this novelty, are broadly marked with a 

 whitish yellow band on each margin, giving the plant a 

 pretty effect. A new single Rose, a variety of R. poly- 

 aiilha and named grandijJora, was certificated because of 

 the profusion of the large white flowers and buds, together 

 with the luxuriant foliage of the plants exhibited, which, 

 of course, had been forced. Those who like single 

 Roses will like this one. It was shown by Paul, of Ches- 

 hunt. 



A pretty little crested, fronded Selaginella named S. cus- 

 pidata crispa was next certificated. This is only a few inches 

 high and the fronds are like a feathery moss of a cheerful 

 green. It came from B. S. Williams, who makes a specialty 

 of new Ferns and Selaginellas. He showed also a rare 

 Maidenhair Fern {Adia/itum ^Ethiopicuin elatum), a tall 

 growing and extremely elegant plant, but as the committee 

 were doubtful about its difference from similar kinds of 

 Maidenhair Fern, it was passed. 



The white variety of Iris stylosa, which has been placed 

 before the committee at two previous meetings this year, 

 was at length honored with a certificate. The albino is 



precisely similar to the typical / slylosa, excepting the 

 absence of color and the fact that its flower season ex- 

 tends over several weeks is, in itself, a great merit in a 

 plant from Algeria that flowers naturally out of doors in 

 our climate. 



Among the numerous Amaryllises shown there were few 

 that conformed with the high standard that has been 

 agreed upon among Amaryllis fanciers. The flowers must 

 not only be large, but must show an advance in the direc- 

 tion of perfect form, while the color must be distinct and 

 good. The finest of the five certificated vi^as called Con- 

 queror, which has flowers quite eight inches across, with 

 broad and nearly equal petals of a glowing scarlet, with 

 greenish white centre. The variety Finette is very lovely, 

 as its large and finely formed flowers are pure white, save 

 a few pencilings and splashes of crimson on the sepals. 

 Rodney has flowers of a vivid scarlet, not so fine in size 

 or form as Conqueror, while one called Miss Roberts has 

 white flowers exquisitely netted and veined with heavy 

 lines of deep crimson. The above were all certificated 

 from the group shown by Veitch & Sons. A very fine 

 variety was certificated from B. S. Williams. It is named 

 Emperor Frederick and is remarkable for the very large 

 flowers, not so open as those shown by Veitch, but its 

 rich scarlet color makes it an exceedingly fine variety. 



Two new Tree Carnations from Turner, of Slough, 

 were thoroughly worthy of the certificates awarded to 

 them. They were Purple King, with large rosette-like 

 flowers, three inches across, of a rich plum purple, and 

 Mrs. Grenfell, best described as a magnified form of the 

 popular Miss Joliffe, as its large flowers have the same 

 pleasing, delicate, salmon pink color. Both will be in- 

 valuable sorts for winter and early spring flowers. From 

 a number of named sorts of Cineraria, all of very dvi'arf, 

 dense and compact habit shown by James, the com- 

 mittee selected for a certificate one called Maria, 

 which has enormous flowers of pure white with purple 

 centres. Some object to certificating Cinerarias because 

 the sorts do not come true from seed, but the same may 

 be said of most other florists' flowers. James' best 

 named sorts are propagated by cuttings. 



Wm. Goldring. 



The Banded Hickory Borer. 



THIS insect is common, I think, wherever Hickory 

 grows, but it has received comparatively little at- 

 tention from entomologists. It appears to work more par- 

 ticularly on timber that has been cut, and frequently wood 

 that has lain for a year or two after being felled has been 

 found so full of galleries, that its value, even for firewood, 

 is greatly lessened, while it is rendered entirely worthless 

 for manufacturing purposes of any kind. 



In Figures 26 and 27 are shown, reduced one-half, cross 

 and longitudinal sections of a hickory stick, picked out of 

 cord wood from a great number fully as badly eaten. 

 From these sticks were secured a number of the grubs and 

 pupee, and later, in May, the adult beetles issued, so that its 

 life history can be pretty fully stated. The eggs (Figure 28, 

 a and b') were obtained from the bodies of adult females, 

 as many as ninety-three being found in the body of a 

 single one. Judging from the fact that cord wood and 

 felled timber are so badly infested by the borers, while 

 standing wood appears to be but slightly attacked, it seems 

 that adult insects must select cut timber in which to de- 

 posit their eggs. 



The young grubs commence channeling the wood at 

 once, but it is not known certainly how long it requires to 

 attain full growth. The cord wood mentioned above as 

 furnishing the adult beetles, had probably not been cut for 

 more than two or three j^ears at the most, and we can 

 safely assume that the eggs in this case were laid after the 

 wood was cut, which would limit their life to two or three 

 years. On the other hand, instances are recorded where 

 the adult beetles have issued from furniture, carriages. 



