446 



Garden and Forest. 



[Numb ^07. 



ing better known each year. These are truly tropical bulbs, 

 coming from under the equator, and cold is fatal to them, 

 even for a short period. They must never be stored in a place 

 where the temperature falls below fifty degrees, but above this 

 degree of temperature there seems to be no limit. A friend 

 winters his Caladium-bulbs on the pipes in a house where 

 tropical Palms are grown ; they are stored in the pots and soil 

 in which they grew. A better plan is to shake out the bulbs 

 at this time if the leaves have died off, and after cleaning off 

 all decayed particles that are sometimes found at the base of 

 the tubers, they should be placed in dry sand, new labels 

 written for them, and stored in the boiler-cellar, as it is gen- 

 erally warm there. If decay is seen to have penetrated the 

 tissues of the tuber, this must be cut away and some dry char- 

 coal-dust mixed with a little- sulphur be placed directly under 

 the cut and filled round with sand. There will be no danger 

 of losing valuable kinds if the bulbs are attended to in time. 

 The newer English dwarf kinds are, without doubt, among the 

 finest achievements of the hybridizers' skill, and reflect great 

 credit on the raiser and distributers. Unfortunately, their 

 price is almost prohibitory ; but we have noticed that these 

 highly-colored varieties are slow to increase, their vigor in this 

 direction being dependent on the amount of green coloring 

 matter contained in the leaves. 



Gladioli, Acidantheras, Tritonias and Montbretias are all of 

 the same nature from a cultivator's standpoint. They should 

 be lifted in autumn as soon as frosts have killed off the 

 tops. The new bulbs are then cleaned free of old roots 

 and the old bulb- that adheres to the base of the new one. 

 After being laid out to dry for a few days in an airy dry place 

 they are best kept in strong paper bags such as Holland bulbs 

 come in. These should be suspended in a dry cool cellar free 

 from frost. If care has been taken to free them from moisture 

 they can be safely left until the next midsummer for the latest 

 planting. We separate Gladiolus-bulbs into two sizes, many 

 of the largest being set apart for early use in pots. These are 

 started in the greenhouse soon after January, and flower in the 

 pots in May, being planted out in the border to mature. Some 

 of the largest bulbs are also kept for late planting. Cultivators 

 of large quantities of Gladioli-bulbs find that the best way to 

 winter their stock is to suspend it in a cellar as already de- 

 scribed, except that when many bulbs are stored coarse bags 

 are used, so as to admit air and let the moisture escape. If 

 the bulbs are moist root-action will begin long before planting- 

 time, and the contents of the bags will be a mass of roots that 

 must be broken to separate the bulbs. 



This year we have planted out our Gloriosas. They promise 

 to be of more value outdoors than in the greenhouse, as their 

 liability to insects in heat makes it difficult to succeed with 

 them. When planted out there is no trouble of this sort and 

 they flower freely. They may be lifted and stored like the Cala- 

 diums after frost has killed them back. It will be found best 

 to start them in heat to bring them forward, or they are likely 

 to remain in the soil half the summer before they begin to 

 grow. Both Gloriosa superba and G. Plantii give satisfaction 

 when used in this way. 



Dahlias and Cannas may be stored in a frostproof cellar. 

 Cannas must be placed on a perfectly dry bottom and most of 

 the earth shaken out, or decay from moisture will follow. We 

 once lost our whole collection from this cause. Cannas really 

 need a little warmth to do them justice, especially the newer 

 ones, as they seem to have a tendency to be evergreen. 

 Cannas will also winter perfectly under the benches in a cool 

 greenhouse if boards are placed under the roots. If they are 

 moist they will start to grow before the proper time, and too 

 much space is taken up in the houses when it can least be 

 given. We prefer dry storage in a cellar that would be con- 

 sidered warm. 



South Lancaster, Mass. -C. U. Orpet. 



The Forest. 



Natural Reforestation on the Mountains 

 Northern Colorado. — II. 



of 



IX noting the conditions that seem favorable to the 

 starting and development of new forest growth, I have 

 frequently seen confirmation of the often repeated and 

 generally accepted statement that north slopes are more 

 quickly covered by new growth than southern. There 

 are occasional exceptions, however. The reason for the 

 difference of growth on the slopes rests, apparently, in the 

 more vigorous action of the sun upon the south slope; 

 the nearly perpendicular rays melt the winter snows, 



exhaust the soil moisture and parch the vegetation very 

 quickly. Differences in the two slopes are apparent even 

 at the time of burning, and, owing to the greater dryness, 

 vegetation on the south slope will burn more completely. 

 On the north slope the tangle of unconsumed remnants 

 serves as a protection to the young growth and nurses it 

 beyond the critical stage, while on the south slope the 

 young plants, unprotected from the fierce rays of the sun. 

 succumb quickly, and the slope remains barren. 



In the lower mountains, at from 7,000 to 8,000 feet, there 

 are several large and a greater number of smaller bodies 

 of young timber that are attractive. The species is almost 

 exclusively Pinus contorta, van Murrayana, the Lodge Pole 

 Pine. The trees stand thickly together, and the main body 

 of any particular group as seen from a little distance will 

 show a height of from fifteen to twenty feet. Penetrating 

 to the interior of any of these bodies of timber we find that 

 the trees, now green and vigorous, constitute but a small 

 proportion of those that started in the race. The first 

 growth of seedlings must have been very thick, and it 

 seems from observations made that seed continued to ger- 

 minate for several years after the main body started. Here 

 are found the remains of thousands of young trees that, 

 starved out by their more vigorous neighbors, have died 

 and are slowly returning to the earth from which they 

 came. 



Well in from the border of one of these forests, in a spot 

 where Nature's methods had met with no interference, I 

 chose four trees to represent the best development of the 

 forest, not taking the largest, but such as represented the 

 largest number of thrifty trees. The average of these 

 equaled a tree nineteen feet high, 3.8 inches in diameter at 

 the ground, and fifty-two years old, as ascertained from a 

 count of the annual rings. The rate of growth of this 

 average tree for the first fifty years would be as follows : 



Diameter. d tin in diameter Percentage of Percentage of 

 by decades. gain by i whole by 



Incites. Inches. decades. ; decades. 



At ten years, . . 



1. 







27.6 



At twentyyears, 



2. 



1. 



100. 



55-2 



At thirty years, . 



2.69 



.69 



34 5 



74-3 



At forty years, . 



319 



■5 



185 



88.1 



At fifty years, . . 



362 



■43 



134 





One other tree was taken at this point, chosen for the 

 smallest diameter in proportion to the height. It measured 

 eleven feet eight inches high, was one inch in diameter 

 at the ground, and was by the annual rings thirty-five 

 years old. 



Its development by decades was as follows : 



Diameter. (lain in diameter Percentage of Percentage of 

 by decades. gain by whole by 



Inches. Inches. ' decades. I decades. 



At ten years, . . .25 

 At twentyyears, .59 

 At thirty years, . .87 



28.6 

 67.8 



A further observation in this forest, bearing on the thick- 

 ness of seedlings, and the dying away from starvation, was 

 as follows: From a ground space six inches square grew 

 six trees. The largest was ten feet eight inches high, and 

 1.38 inches in diameter at the ground, apparently thrifty and 

 vigorous. The next smaller was six feet six inches high, 

 and .75 inches in diameter at the ground. This tree was 

 living, but was plainly less vigorous than the larger one. 

 The next smaller was four feet eight inches high, and .50 

 inches in diameter at the ground, and was dead. The 

 next smaller was three feet six inches high, and .50 inches 

 in diameter at the ground, living, but weak, and evidently 

 ■lowing weaker, as indicated by the yearly growth. The 

 next was dead and had been broken off at three feet above 



