October 13, 1897.] 



Garden and Forest. 



407 



be done successfully either on the ordinary wooden strips, 

 or on strips of zinc' made after the pattern of the wooden 

 ones in common use. For large potted plants, especially 

 in public collections, it is advisable to do away with the long 

 strips of wood or zinc, and use instead pieces of zinc three 

 inches long and of sufficient width to hold the names and 

 habitat. These should be fastened to bent wires and fixed in 

 the pots so that they may be read in a horizontal position. Many 

 persons forego learning the name of a plant on account of the 

 inconvenience of trying to read a perpendicular label, and in 

 the case of perpendicular labels they are drawn out of the pot 

 with the prospect of being placed in the wrong pot after they 

 are examined. 



Botanic Garden, Washington, D. C. "•• iV - Oliver. 



Correspondence. 



The Germination of Conifer-seeds. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — A great difference exists in the germination of conifer- 

 seeds from different localities. I have never seen this fact 

 stated in print and give my experience in the hope that others 

 may do likewise. The seeds of all the conifers hardy in the east 

 come up at the same time or nearly so. Norway Spruce, 

 White Spruce, Scotch, Austrian and Mountain Pines, the Colo- 

 rado conifers, Picea pungens and P. Engelmanni, Douglas 

 Spruce, Abies concolor, and other common conifers can all 

 be uncovered at one time. But few seedlings come up ten 

 days after the first ones appear, while conifer-seeds from a 

 warmer climate are very irregular in germinating. I raised a 

 large quantity in California in 1889 and 1S90. The kinds already 

 named were sown in beds adjacent to the more tender kinds. 

 Pinus Jeffreyi, P. ponderosa and P. tuberculata started from 

 two to four weeks before the others came up. Abies mag- 

 nifica, A. grandis and A. amabilis came very scatteringly ; the 

 first of these appeared in April and the last in September, and 

 they required careful attention. The various Cupressus varied 

 as much as the Abies. Douglas Spruce, Abies concolor, and 

 Pinus ponderosa, from Colorado, came up much more regu- 

 larly than the same species from seed collected in California, 

 but the seedlings from California seed made much larger 

 plants at the end of two years. Most of the seed from the 

 Orient acted as those of our native and European species 

 do, being very regular in germinating. The exceptions are 

 Picea Morinda and P. Ajanensis, but as I had very little seed 

 of the latter and that apparently two or more years old, I may 

 be mistaken in this particular. The seeds of Sciadopitys ver- 

 ticellata, Cedrus Deodara and C. Libani are also irregular in 

 time of germinating. Cedrus Atlantica may also be added to 

 the list, but it comes up more evenly than the seeds of other 

 Cedars. The seeds of our native White Pine are the most un- 

 even in germinating of those of the hardy conifers ; but 

 although they sometimes come irregularly, this tree can 

 hardly be classed with the species which are irregular in ger- 

 minating. Thuya gigantea and Libocedrus decurrens are 

 irregular. 



Waukegan, 111. 



T. H. Douglas. 



Fruit-growing in Northern New England. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Thirty years ago, excepting along the borders and on 

 the islands of Lake Champlain, northern New England gave 

 little promise of ever becoming a region for the successful 

 growing of tree fruits on a commercial scale. The winters in 

 the more elevated parts especially were then bitterly severe and 

 long, as now, and the intervening season, though extremely 

 pleasant and healthful, was found to be so short as to prevent 

 many of the choicer fruits from maturing. The most careful 

 and experienced labors to have fruits mature were not 

 successful. A similar condition existed also with our 

 Canadian neighbors, and in our western states, Minnesota 

 and Iowa especially. A few experiments in growing seed- 

 lings from the most hardy known kinds were successful, 

 as in the case of Mr. Peter M. Gideon, who in this way pro- 

 duced the Wealthy apple ; and there was also some success 

 in the search for wildings, as in the case of Scott's Winter. 

 But such efforts were too uncertain in their results to be satis- 

 factory. This need of hardy fruits was so marked as to check 

 the growth and prosperity of several states. Strenuous efforts 

 were made about twenty years ago to induce Congress to lend 

 its aid in this direction and some good varieties were thus 

 obtained. The method of distribution through Congressmen 

 was the sending out of scions among their agricultural con- 



stituents. But as comparatively few farmers were acquainted 

 with the simple arts of. grafting and budding, the general 

 result was not satisfactory. However, some sorts which have 

 proved to be excellent, not only for the north but for the south, 

 were obtained in this way ; and these, as they became known 

 (one of them was the very widely grown Yellow Transparent), 

 excited a strong desire for farther study of the tree fruits of 

 northern Europe. 



This object was at length effected by private effort, through 

 Professor J. S. Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural College, in asso- 

 ciation with Mr. Charles Gibb, a wealthy citizen of Montreal, 

 Canada, who was naturally desirous of promoting the interests 

 of his own country in this important work. The labors of these 

 gentlemen were not limited to an investigation of the Apples 

 of northern Germany and Russia; all the tree fruits of those 

 regions were carefully studied through nearly the whole grow- 

 ing season. The results were of great value and importance 

 to the whole range of our northern states, from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific. I frequently receive requests for scions from 

 northern California, Idaho and Oregon ; and already I am in 

 receipt of correspondence showing that the Russian tree fruits 

 are found to have decided value in the states of the Pacific slope. 



As for my own experience, I have watched the growth of 

 the trees with daily care, and from year to year I have been 

 more and more impressed and convinced of the great impor- 

 tance of the Russian fruits for a very large portion of our 

 country. I may say that in less than twenty years fruit-growing 

 has become an important rural industry in north-eastern 

 Vermont, and in Maine, and is sure to expand in activity 

 from year to year. Our farmers are rather slow to yield to 

 persuasion in the matter of novelties, but they cannot fail to 

 notice on all sides the increasing numbers of bearing fruit- 

 trees of species and varieties entirely unknown until now. 

 When they see our local markets fully supplied with a class of 

 fruits hitherto seen only in boxes from Boston and New York, 

 it will not be long before the reading and thinking men 

 among them will be taking a hand in such a manifestly pleas- 

 ant and profitable industry. 



Newport, Vt. T. H. HoskillS. 



Recent Publications. 



Eighth Annual Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 

 The eighth report of the Missouri Botanical Garden is 

 before us and contains a financial statement of the Presi- 

 dent of the Board of Trustees, Professor Trelease's report 

 as the Director, and important scientific papers on the flora 

 of the Azores. From the President's report it appears that 

 the income of the property belonging to the Garden was 

 $123,962 in 1896, and that the expenditures forthe Garden, 

 including maintenance, purchase of plants and seeds, her- 

 barium, library, scientific investigation, etc., including an 

 expenditure of nearly $5,000 on account of the destructive 

 tornado which visitedSt. Louis during the summer of 1896, 

 was $40,108.72, nearly the whole of the remainder of the 

 income having been expended in taxes and in the improve- 

 ment of real estate belonging to the Garden. 



From Professor Trelease's report it appears that at the 

 end of 1S95 an inventory of the plants cultivated showed 

 3,921 named species and varieties other than annuals, and 

 that the number during 1896 had somewhat increased. 

 During the year 10,793 specimens were purchased for the 

 herbarium and 5,674 were received as donations or in 

 exchange. To the library 219 volumes and 702 pamphlets 

 were donated, and 571 volumes and 1,216 pamphlets were 

 added by purchase. 



Plans for extending the Garden are being prepared by 

 the Messrs. Olmsted, of Brookline, Massachusetts, it being 

 the purpose of the director to use about one hundred acres 

 of meadow ground adjacent to the Garden for the purpose of 

 displaying a plant synopsis, by which it is proposed to 

 show by living plants, as far as it is practicable to do so, 

 the natural groups of the vegetable kingdom. The practical 

 and theoretical instruction for garden students, which has 

 often been alluded to in these columns, has been continued ; 

 and the report shows that this flourishing institution con- 

 tinues to perform a valuable service for botany and horti- 

 culture, and that splendid use is being made of Mr. Shaw's 

 noble bequest to his adopted city. 



By far the largest part of the report is devoted to a paper 



