n6 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 317. 



sparsely pubescent on both surfaces ; flowers not seen ; 

 fruiting spike ovate to oblong, 2.5 to 4 cm. long, the ma- 

 ture involucres about 2 cm. long, bristly hairy at their 

 insertion ; nut ovate-lanceolate, acute, about 6 mm. long, 

 several-nerved on both surfaces, minutely pubescent until 

 full maturity ; male spikelets for the succeeding year borne 

 in clusters of 2 to 4 on a pubescent peduncle 5 to 10 mm. 

 long. Type specimen in the United States National Her- 

 barium, collected July 10th, 1892 (No. 272), in Yavapai 

 County, Arizona, within the Grand Canon of the Colorado 

 River, by J. W. Tourney. 



Mr. Knowlton obtained only a single specimen, collected 

 September 10th, 1889, and without fruit, but bearing leaves 

 and the male catkin-buds for the succeeding year. By a 

 microscopical examination of the catkin scales and anthers, 

 when naming the plant collections of the party, I was able 

 to refer the tree definitely to the genus Ostrya, and it was 

 recognized at that time as an undescribed species. The 

 material was so scant, however, that a description was 

 temporarily withheld, but Mr. Tourney's specimens bear 

 mature fruit and render possible a better comparison with 

 O. Virginiana. The leaves in O. Knowltoni are smaller, 

 approximately oval, obtuse or acute, and rarely cordate 

 below ; in O. Virginiana larger, oblong-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, and usually with a shallow sinus at the base. In 

 O. Knowltoni three-year-old twigs have a light gray bark, 

 in O. Virginiana a dark reddish-brown bark, and, in these 

 specimens at least, the nut of the former species is minutely 

 pubescent, not glabrous, as in O. Virginiana. It is prob- 

 able that the flowers and the size, faces and bark of the 

 tree itself will be found to afford other distinctive char- 

 acters. 



The following communication from Professor Tourney, 

 under date of February 5th, 1894, will serve to direct others 

 to the exact station of the original tree, which is, with 

 little doubt, the same specimen from which Mr. Knowlton 

 obtained his material : 



The Ostrya, which you inquire further in regard to, and 

 specimens of which were sent to the Department of Agricul- 

 ture a year ago, was found north of Flagstaff, on the rim of the 

 Grand Cafion of the Colorado River. It is growing at the left, a few 

 rods after beginning the descent to the river over John Hance's 

 trail. The tree is much smaller than its eastern relative and 

 more spreading. I found only the one specimen, which was about 

 twelve feet high, growing with Oak grubs [Scrub Oaks] and 

 Cercis occidentalis. Pinus ponderosaScopulorum at this place 

 is not infrequent. I remember the tree quite distinctly, as I 

 observed at the time that it differed considerably from the 

 eastern species. 



This Hop Hornbeam has been named in honor of Mr. 

 Knowlton, not only on account of his valuable services to 

 the science of botany in general, but to commemorate the 

 zeal with which he carried on his field-work of 1889, in spite 

 of continued ill-health. . 



Washington, d. c. Frederick Vernon Coville. 



Cultural Department. 



The Best Varieties of Vegetables. 



1 A HE following varieties of vegetables have been selected as 

 -*- the best of their class after a careful trial of as many kinds 

 as were available in a soil of sandy loam. To the name of 

 each variety I have added a few of its points of excellence. 



Bush Beans, green-podded. — Early Red Valentine : earli- 

 ness, productiveness, good flavor and tenderness. Horticul- 

 tural Dwarf : large pod, long-bearing season and meatiness of 

 pod. Refugee, or Thousand to One : remarkable productive- 

 ness, round solid pods, good for pickles as well as for ordinary 

 table use. 



Bush Beans, wax pods.— Black Wax : earliness, clear color, 

 delicate flavor. Improved Golden Wax : productiveness, ten- 

 derness and solidity of pod, freedom from rust. Wardwell's 

 Wax : size of pod, vigor of plant, power to resist drought. 



BUSH Limas. — Henderson's Bush Lima : earliest and most 

 prolific, fine-flavored, but small. Burpee's Bush Lima : a 

 true bush form of the old White Lima, with all its valuable 

 qualities. 



Pole Beans. — Large White Lima : an enormous cropper, vig- 

 orous plant and fine flavor. Old Homestead : early and ever- 

 bearing, large, round, tender pods and peculiarly fine flavor. 

 Golden-cluster Wax : the best of its kind to take the poles, a 

 certain cropper. 



Beets. — Egyptian : earliness and rich crimson color. 

 Eclipse: earliness, fine texture of flesh, handsomely zoned 

 and excellent flavor. Long Smooth Blood : finest color of all, 

 tender and good flavor. 



Cabbage. — Early Jersey Wakefield : first to head, most suc- 

 culent, good color when cooked. Succession : sure heading 

 quality, compact plant, solid head and tenderness. Late Flat 

 Dutch : uniform header, great density, best keeper, fair flavor. 

 Carrots. — Early Horn : earliness, cleanness of root, mild- 

 ness of flavor. ■ Danvers : heaviness, tenderness of core, fine 

 color and flavor. Long Orange : good keeper, good color, 

 valuable for field or garden culture, but must have a deep soil. 

 Cauliflower. — Early Snowball : sureness in heading, free- 

 dom from green leaves in the flower-head, compactness of 

 plant, pearly color. Large Late Algiers : large size of head, 

 hardiness, lateness of season. 



Celery. — White Plume: earliness, beauty, crispness, flavor. 

 Golden Dwarf : weight of plant, thickness of stem, keeping 

 quality, fine texture. London Red : unequaled nutty flavor, 

 freedom from strings and the best keeper. 



Sweet Corn. — Cory Early: earliness, comparatively large 

 ear, tenderness and sweetness. Perry's Hybrid : second early, 

 good ear, sure and abundant cropper, healthy plant. Stowell's 

 Evergreen : large ear, small cob, fine flavor and tenderness. 

 Country Gentleman : small ear, small but deep grain, incom- 

 parable in flavor. 



Cucumbers. — Early Cluster : fruits in clusters, large crop- 

 per, small, chunky fruit, good for pickles. Green Prolific : 

 earliness, medium size, good color, the best for pickles and 

 good for slicing. Early White Spine : enormous cropper, long 

 season, fine texture, delicate flavor, little seed, bestall-round 

 variety. 



Egg-plant. — Early Long Furple : good cropper, long narrow 

 fruit, valued for extreme earliness. New York Improved 

 Spineless : productiveness, vigor of plant, size and color of 

 fruit, solidity and unexcelled flavor. 



Endive. — Moss Curled : garnishing quality, tenderness and 

 neat curled habit. Green Curled : largest and densest heart, 

 best for spring and autumn. Broad-leaved Batavian : largest 

 plant, broad thick leaves. 



Kale. — Green Curled Scotch : fine close curl, compact'plant, 

 best for autumn. Siberian : extreme hardiness, mild flavor, 

 can stand out all winter. 



Kohl Rabi. — Early Short-leaved Vienna : small bulb, very 



small top, tender, early maturity, can be planted closely, the 



best for frames. White Vienna : the popular variety, large bulb. 



Leeks. — London Flag: the bestforsoups, good flavor. Large 



Carentan : heaviest, best for serving whole. 



Lettuce. — Boston Market : small dense plant, early, deli- 

 cate flavor. Salamander: ability to resist drought, few outside 

 leaves, large, solid but tender and succulent head. Hender- 

 son's New York : largest good variety, does not burn, stands 

 longest without seeding, fairly solid, delicious flavor. Paris 

 White Cos : finest flavor of all, needs to be tied and a moist 

 position. 



Musk Melon. — Jenny Lind : small round fruit, salmon-red 

 flesh, good cropper, best flavored of early varieties. Nutmeg : 

 larger and longer than Jenny Lind, green flesh, early, deli- 

 cious flavor. Hackensack : heavy cropper, green flesh, fair 

 flavor, the popular variety. Emerald Gem : medium size, 

 deep green shell, good cropper, deep salmon-red flesh, lus- 

 cious and melting flavor, the best variety for home use, 



Watermelons. — Cole's Early: the best early for the latitude 

 of New York, medium-sized fruit, delicious flavor. Ice- 

 cream : unexcelled in flavor, fine crimson flesh, small seeds, 

 and one of the Purest to fruit. Florida Favorite: large, long 

 fruit, very deep flesh, large heart, thin, tough rind, very prolific. 

 Onions. — Queen : best for pickling, clear waxy-white color, 

 mild in flavor. Early Red Wethersfield : rather flat, large, 

 good keeper, fine flavor. Prizetaker : largest and best for 

 general use, fine globular shape, small neck, solid pulp, deli- 

 cate flavor and fair keeper. Southport Red Globe, Southport 

 White Globe and Southport Yellow Globe are the very best 

 of their respective colors for keeping qualities as well as in all 

 other good points. 



Parsley. — Double Curled : sold under various names. 

 Growers should insist on getting seed from good stock, as ex- 

 cellence depends entirely on selection. Emerald : a fine curly 

 variety of the above of a distinct dark green color. 

 Parsnips. — Long Smooth : tapering shoulder, long bulb. 



