366 



Garden and Forest. 



[September 26, 18 



The Vegetable Garden. 



TOURING the week of the Fliirists' Convention leading sccds- 

 ^-^ men of the city liacl special exhibitions of flowers, ami 

 some of them of vegetal)ies as well, in their stores. In one of 

 these the display of vegetables was excellent in itself, and, as 

 everything was carefully and legibly named, the interest in, 

 and usefulness of, the exhibit, was thereby much enhanced. 



The mammoth Sugar Corn showed its superiority. It is a 

 capital Corn, with large, well-filled ears and white fruit, but 

 rather too big for taljle use. Most people prefer smaller Corn, 

 like Squantuni. Cucumbers showed nothing betterthanWhitu 

 Spine. Under the name of White German were exhibited 

 large, white-skinned Cucumbers ; but either for market or 

 private use the green-skinned Cucumbers only can become 

 popular. A large and beautiful specimen of the new Water- 

 melon, "Green and Gold," cut open, was exhibited. The flesh 

 is solid throughout, and of a butter-yellow color, and the rind 

 quite thin. But no matter how delicious this Melon may be, 

 tlie popular Watermelon must have red flesh and black seed. 

 Kolb's Gem is such a Melon. It was exhibited, cut open, along- 

 side of Green and Gold. The Hackensaek was shown as the 

 standard green-fleshed Muskmelon in the neighborhood of 

 New York, and so it is. It is a large-fruited variety, rather 

 coarse, but of good quality. The vines are vigorous growers, 

 and bear a heavy crop of large, even-sized fruit, and it shows 



largest Pepper, and no doubt will become the most popular 

 variety. Celestial Pepper, a variety introduced from China 

 three years ago, and first distributed this year, was also 

 shown. The friut is under medium size, green at first, chang- 

 ing to yellow tinged with purple, and ripens off scarlet. It is 

 as pungent as most other Peppers. It is extremely proline, 

 and the fruit stands upright on the plants instead of nodding, 

 as is the case with most large Peppers. It will hardly gain a 

 foothold in our gartlens except as ;m ornamental plant. 



White Velvet was the conspicuous Okra. This is a new 

 variety of dwarf habit, and with long, round, white pods. But, 

 except in fixing the dwarfness of Okra, I question if we have 

 lately made nuich progress in it. I sowed all the popular 

 varieties May 24th last in rows alongside of each other. On 

 July 25th we were picking from Dwarf Density, but not from 

 any of the others. We did not begin picking from White Vel- 

 vet till August. 



A green plant of the new Dwarf Sieva Bean was shown full 

 of seed-pods. In its line it is a decided acquisition. With it 

 we can enjoy these delicious Beans without the bother of 

 poles. The Dwarf Lima Bean was also exhibited full of green 

 pods. A really dwarf Lima will be one of the most desirable 

 vegeta-bles ever introduced. We cannot reasonably expect to 

 gather as heavy a crop of Limas from dwarf as from pole 

 plants, nor that the dwarf plants would continue as long in 

 bearing green Beans ; but for many amateurs these dwarf 



Riiot-stock of Nyini>lia:a tiiberosa- — Set- paj^e 368. 



less tendency to prcmatiu'e decay than any other variety. 

 Among salmon-fleshed varieties. Emerald Gem has no supe- 

 rior; indeed, it is as good in quality as the much-lauded Euro- 

 pean varieties grown in warm green-houses there, but which 

 cannot be grown satisfactorily out-of-doors in this country. It 

 is not a large Melqn, but its llesh is exceptionally thick, sweet, 

 buttery, and ripens up to the thin rind. Indeed, Emerald 

 Gem as a red-fleshed, and Hackensaek as a green-fleshed 

 Melon, are our standarel varieties around New York. 



Among the many Tomatoes, Acme, Perfection and Trophy 

 were as liandsome as any. Mikado was the largest, perhaps, 

 and a yellow-skinned form of it was also shown; but although 

 yellow-skinned Tomatoes, such as Green Gage and Golden 

 Queen, may have their special uses and friends, the popiular 

 Tomato must be red-skinned, and of round, even outline. An 

 uncommonly large, reddish-fruited variety, named President 

 Garfield, of very uneven form and many-ribbed, showed 

 plainly what ought to be avoided among Tomatoes. The 

 Dwarf Champion Tomato, sent out last year as a new varietv, 

 has round, even, fair-sized red fruit, and is really a desiral:)Ie 

 sort. It is of more compact growth than the other Tomatoes, 

 and quite prolific, liutitwiUnotstanderectwithout supportsany 

 more than any other variety. Thirty-seven dishes of the Puri- 

 tan Potato occupied one table, and represented the products of 

 every section of the country — Maine, California, Texas, Georgia 

 and other states. The Crcorgia tuliers were the finest. This 

 is a new Potato, raised bv Mr. Coy from seed saved from 

 Beauty of Hebron in 1882. The tubers are white-skinned and 

 of the form of the well-known Snowflake. The Beauty of 

 Hebron also originated with Mr. Coy. Ruby King was the 



Limas will be valuable, because they will do away with the 



annoyance of getting and keeping antl setting up bean-poles. 



Glen Cove, N. Y. ]V!ii. Falconcr. 



Orchids. -Pha/iriio/>sis iMaj'icr. — This is a somewhat rare 

 species, very strong in growth, producinga drooping, branched 

 spike bearing a number of white flowers, barred and blotched 

 with amethyst, the crimson lip being edged with white. 

 Coming from Borneo, this plant requires abundance of heat 

 ,'md water, and should at no time be allowed to become dry. 

 It seems to do far better with us in a tall cvlinder than in a 

 basket. The roots running to the bottom and forming quite 

 a network, both inside and. out, we use scarcelv any potting 

 material in the cvlinders, but water overhead three to four 

 times a day. 



Lalia crispa, — Plants of this useful species are now in full 

 beauty. Though an old and comparatively common Orchid, 

 one seldom sees it in good condition. It is often too much 

 coddled and grown too hot. All the best-grown and well- 

 tlowered specimejis I have met with were grown luider cool 

 treatment, and some of the spikes have had ten or twelve 

 flowers, and very large, while the usual niunber is but five or 

 six. It is a beautiful Orchid, antl did it liut flower in midwin- 

 ter woifld be highly prized l>y florists. The flowers are five to 

 six inches across, pure white, and much eiu'led or twisted. 

 The lip is a rich crimson, edged with white, and beautifully 

 crisp. It will grow well under the same treatment accorded to 

 L. anceps, and, like it, prefers not to have its roots atall confined. 

 The white varietv of LirHa elcgans may be had in flower 

 nearly every numfh in the year — that is, if the plant be very 



