April 18, 1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



1-59 



shrubbery two Tree Pasonies which never bloomed, and one 

 of the newer Lilacs, which never bloomed but once in all that 

 time. Each spring the flower-buds swelled early in the sea- 

 son, only to be killed in late March by the usual cold wave. 

 At last we had careful workmen transplant the three shrubs 

 into the north shrubbery, and have had no trouble since. The 

 buds start late and swell slowly, so that they pass the danger- 

 period in safety. 



And, secondly, in the way of protection : During the exces- 

 sively warm weather of early and middle March, not only were 

 spring plants in bloom, but early summer plants were well ad- 

 vanced. Pagonies, Lilies, late Daffodils, Iris Germanica and I. 

 Kaempferi, Clematis, etc., had made much growth, and some 

 of them were even budded. Then came the phenomenal cold 

 of late March. We could not see the promise of two months' 

 beauty swept away in a single night, and the whole household 

 was summoned to the rescue. When the regular supply of 

 sacks, blankets and sheets fell short we supplemented them 

 by anything that could cover a plant or group of plants — tubs, 

 buckets, boxes, flower-pots, tin pans, etc. — and left them un- 

 disturbed over our plants the three or four days that the cold 

 weather lasted. No doubt, the singular decoration of our 

 home-acre excited some mirthful comment, but not a plant 

 or flower was lost that was covered, while a few Irises and 

 Lilies that were overlooked were frozen to pulp. 



Pineville, Mo. Lora S. La Alance. 



Snow in April. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The frosts and snows of late March and early April 

 have devastated the gardens hereabout, as vegetation was so 

 unusually forward. Cherries and Plums were in full bloom 

 late in March when the sudden freeze came, and Peach- 

 trees showed rich color. Every bud and blossom on all these 

 trees were blackened, and we will have to wait for another 

 spring to see them again in perfection. Apple-trees were not 

 yet in bloom and are not so much injured. Of the shrubs in 

 bloom, the flowers of the Japan Quince were spoiled, but the 

 fragile-looking Spirasa Thunbergii was little damaged. It was 

 a strange sight to see its tiny blossoms and green leaves peep- 

 ing out of a weight of snow that bowed its slender branches 

 to the ground. A large Blackheart Cherry also presented an 

 unwonted spectacle, with its white flower clusters covered with 

 balls of whiter snow, and the Forsythia-bushes were a charm- 

 ing study in white and yellow, as their bright flowers shone 

 through their powdery covering. To-day, April 12th, the sun 

 is shining at last and the snow is nearly gone, and we can 

 almost find it in our hearts to forgive April for playing us 

 such a trick for the sake of the novel beauty of the spectacle. 



Shepherdstown, w. Va. Danske Dandridge. 



Orchids at North Easton. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Among the Old World Orchids, Dendrobiums make an 

 interesting group. Some are very dwarf, with short pseudo- 

 bulbs like D. Jenkinsii, while others like D. Dalhousieanurn 

 form noble specimens, four to five feet in height. They gen- 

 erally bloom on the well-ripened deciduous stems, sometimes 

 the growth of the previous year and sometimes of the current 

 year; while it is no uncommon thing to see the well-known 

 D. nobile blooming on the bulbs of two seasons' growth. The 

 blooming season of the majority is in early spring and sum- 

 mer, but there is no season of the year at which some one or 

 other will not be in bloom in Langvvater gardens. From an 

 ornamental aspect some of the species are very effective. 



Dendrobium euosmum leucopterum, a very rare and beau- 

 tiful hybrid, is one of three seedlings from the same seed- 

 capsule. It combines in a wonderful way all the best qualities 

 of its parents, D. endocharis and D. nobile, and even of some 

 of its remoter ancestors. D. endocharis is itself a hybrid be- 

 tween D. Japonicum and D. aureum. From D. endocharis we 

 trace the white and magenta markings in the disk and lip. 

 The primrose perfume may be traced to D. aureum, while 

 from D. nobile comes the size and form of the flower charac- 

 teristic of that fine species. It is more robust than D. endo- 

 charis, but dwarfer than D. nobile. From an ornamental point 

 of view the plant is superb. The fine variety Burfordense, or 

 Arnoldianum, of D. nobile has for its distinctive feature the 

 maroon blotch, so common in the type, marking the basal 

 half of the two lower sepals, as well as the lip. 



The variety of Dendrobium splendidissimum, named in 

 honor of Mr. Robinson, the gardener here, is of the same 

 parentage as D. Leechianum, D. splendidissimum and D. 



Ainsworthii. The general form is that of D. splendidissimum ; 

 the petals, however, are white, suffused with rose, the disk of 

 lip more nearly approaching that of D. Ainsworthii in color, 

 which is claret, but it is larger and brighter than in that beau- 

 tiful hybrid. 



Epidendrum O'Brienianum is a handsome vermilion-crim- 

 son hybrid between E. evectum and E. radicans, with the 

 fringed crest peculiar to E. evectum. The plant is a tall and 

 ungainly grower, but no words can describe the beautiful 

 effect of the color of its flowers. 



Cattleya Patinii alba is a recent introduction from Guatemala, 

 and very similar in habit and form of flower to C. Skinneri 

 alba. There is, however, no dark disk, and, with the excep- 

 tion of a pale lemon tint on the crest, it is pure white. 



Odontoglossum crispum, var. Wellsianum, is one of the 

 most gorgeous varieties in existence, and very rare. The 

 spike is large, covered with closely set flowers of the largest 

 size. Petals broad at base, completely closing the circle, 

 making a full round flower. The ground color of the sepals 

 is pink, with a large irregularly oblong brown blotch on the 

 dorsal sepal, and one or more blotches of the same color on 

 the basal sepal. Petals pure white. There is an oblong 

 brown blotch on the centre of the lip. The keel and crest are 

 pure golden yellow, and the column beautifully marked and 

 spotted with brown and pink. The whole plant makes a 

 striking effect as a specimen. O. Leeanum is. a unique 

 natural hybrid. The ground color of the flower is primrose- 

 yellow, with brown spots. It is very rare. 



Odontoglossum roseum is a dwarf, compact plant, carrying 

 graceful spikes a foot long, with as many as twenty flowers 

 closely set and of a uniform carmine color, except on the col- 

 umn, which is white. The flowers are an inch across, and 

 altogether the plant makes a very effective specimen. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. Hatfield. 



Recent Publications. 



Our Native Birds of Song and Beauty. By Henry Nehrling. 

 With thirty-six colored plates after water-color paintings by 

 Professor Robert Ridgway, Professor A. Goering and Gustav 

 Meutzel. Vol. I. George Brumder, Milwaukee. 



We have from time to time made brief mention of the 

 successive parts of this work as they appeared, and com- 

 mended them not only for their value in giving the scien- 

 tific descriptions of our numerous birds, with graphic 

 sketches of their daily lives and habits, but because they 

 contained a very considerable amount of substantial in- 

 formation about our trees and plants' skillfully and help- 

 fully mingled with the bird lore. The entire work is to be 

 completed in two volumes, and now that the first volume 

 has appeared in tasteful binding we take great pleasure in 

 commending it to every one who is interested in natural 

 history or who takes any intelligent delight in the woods 

 and fields. The plates are well colored and the figures are 

 drawn with much spirit, while the typical vegetation with 

 which they are surrounded is always full of accurate sug- 

 gestion. The introduction, which treats of the migration 

 of birds, their utility, their enemies, the best ways of pro- 

 tecting them, and many other general subjects of this sort, 

 is entertainingly written, and contains the latest views and 

 experience of the best authorities. The volume contains 

 eighteen plates with portraits of sixty-eight different spe- 

 cies, and the descriptions are popular, in (he best sense of 

 the word. By this we do not mean that they are not scien- 

 tifically accurate and that they contain no technical details, 

 for a certain amount of technical language is an absolute 

 necessity in a work of this sort if it is to have any serious 

 value for students. But it is not a book addressed to orni- 

 thologists alone ; it is not loaded with the history of 

 synonyms; it does more than present to our notice birds 

 as mounted skeletons or as stuffed specimens. In short, it 

 introduces us to birds that are alive in living woods and 

 thickets. We see the robin with his plumage stained with 

 poke-berry juice ; the mocking-bird singing from a Mag- 

 nolia draped with Spanish moss ; the creeping warbler 

 building his nest under a Fern-frond ; the bluebird gal- 

 lantly attacking the trespasser upon his home, and the 

 brown thrasher flitting through a road-side thicket. The 

 book is not a compendium of what other people have 



