n8 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 159. 



Some of my fall seedling Pansies are in blossom. Laures- 

 tinus, Polyanthus, Oxalis and Verbenas are becoming quite 

 plentiful. The large Dog-tooth Violets {Erythronium grandi- 

 floruni) in my bulb-beds are well in bud. 

 Ulriah, Cai. Carl Purdy. 



Peaches and Yellows. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir.- — In a recent number of Garden and Forest, the 

 fact was referred to that Peach-growers in New Jersey 

 and elsewhere claim that they can cure the yellows, and 

 it was stated that this claim has been disproved by ex- 

 periment. Yet, though the experimental proof is undoubt- 

 edly accurate, so also are the statements of the New Jersey 

 growers. The truth is, that much, if not the larger propor- 

 tion, of so-called yellows in New Jersey is not due to the spe- 

 cific disease, but to the attacks of the root-louse, which, by 

 sapping the roots, gives the yellow appearance. This can be 

 cured by the application of kainit or of tobacco, and it is 

 altogether too sweeping a statement as to the prevalence of 

 this disease in southern New Jersey that is frequently made. 

 Killing the lice cures the yellows, and this is the basis for the 

 claims made bv the New Jersey growers. 



Rutgers College. ' J Jill B. Smith. 



The Nettle-tree in New Jersey. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — In Dr. Britton's "Catalogue of Plants found in New 

 Jersey" Celtis occidentalis is set down as "not very abundant 

 in the Pine Barrens." I have never found this tree in the Pine 

 Barrens, strictly speaking, of Atlantic County. It is to be 

 found, however, in various localities, particularly along or 

 near streams which flow into salt-water. It is especially abun- 

 dant near Pleasantville, where it grows best on lands which 

 border on and slope toward the salt marsh. The largest tree 

 I have seen here measures very nearly two feet in diameter, 

 and its branches have a spread of forty feet in diameter. I 

 estimate its height at about thirty-five feet. This tree, which 

 is an unusually large one for this region, is a solitary one, and 

 being finely formed, its " peculiar beauty " (as noted in Garden 

 and Forest, vol. iii., p. 42) is especially seen at this time of the 

 year. 



I may add that this tree stands near the site of an Indian vil- 

 lage and burial-place, and has long been a landmark in the 

 neighborhood. 



Pleasantville, N.J. J olni E. Peters. 



Viola hastata. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir. — The illustration of this Violet in your issue of February 

 i8lh, and the note concerning it, reminded me that one 

 peculiarity of this plant is not mentioned in any description of 

 it which I have seen — I mean its glossy, brown-veined foliage. 

 The upper side of the leaves is green, netted with brown 

 veins ; the under side is often entirely bronze. If this char- 

 acteristic color could be retained in cultivation (which I have 

 not yet tried) the plant would be of especial value. The Hal- 

 ber-leaved Violet likes light soil along the sunny borders of 

 woodlands. 



Two other Violets of ascertained merit for garden use are 

 worth mention here. Viola striata has large velvet petals, 

 cream-white, veined with purple ; it is fully as handsome as 

 V. Canadensis, and thrives in more open exposures than the 

 latter, but wholly lacks its delicate fragrance. V. rostrata, 

 with pale lavender colored flowers bearing curious long spurs, 

 is a somewhat rare species that is charming in the Fern 

 garden. 



Geneva, O. 



S. F. G. 



Lilium Hansoni. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — For the sake of accuracy I beg to state that this Lily 

 first flowered at Leiden with a Dutch amateur; I obtained by the 

 agency of Mr. Mater, then manager at Siebold's, a bulb for $20. 

 This was in 1862. The following year I had a few more bulbs 

 at $25 and $32, which I then carefully cut to pieces, leaving at 

 each scale a bit of the trunk or body of the bulb, and I thus 

 obtained by sowing these scales about 150 bulbs within two 

 years. They ranged in size from that of a pea to that of a wal- 

 nut. As soon as my first bulb divided I sent a bulb to Mr. 

 Hanson, who then flowered it first in America. 



Baden Baden. Max Lcichtlill. 



Periodical Literature. 



In Scribner's Magazine for March, Mr. Samuel Parsons, Jr., 

 has an interesting article entitled "The Ornamentation of Ponds 

 and Lakes," which ought to encourage all who own a stretch 

 of river-front or even the tiniest pond or brook to experiment 

 for themselves in this, direction. At least half the knowledge 

 required for such experiments is the knowledge of what not to 

 do, and something of this Mr. Parsons conveys by his account 

 of how he himself failed in his first attempts with aquatic and 

 moisture-loving plants. His account of the way in which he 

 subsequently worked to better advantage on a country-place 

 which, although it was but ten acres in extent, fronted on a 

 broad, placid stream and extended over a narrow strip of land 

 on the opposite side of the water, should, however, renew 

 ambition in the reader's mind. His advice with regard to the 

 advantage of emphasizing Nature's own arrangements of 

 shore line and vegetation is as clear as it is judicious, and the 

 beautiful picture of the stream of which he speaks, with the 

 two tall Poplars accenting a little promontory and the path 

 kept far enough away from the shore not to interfere with the 

 fringing vegetation, greatly helps the impressiveness of his 

 words. We should have been glad, by the way, had he dwelt 

 upon this question of paths, for no fault is more common in 

 the arrangement of ornamental sheets of water than the estab- 

 lishment of paths close to the brink. A formal, artificial look 

 is thus given to the scene and no good purpose is served ; 

 for, of course, it is never necessary to come quite close to the 

 water except when a boat is to be taken, and for this special 

 and proper provision can be made at some single spot. When 

 one wishes merely to look upon the water, it is far more de- 

 lightful to see it over at least a narrow strip of turf spreading 

 out into aquatic or semi-aquatic plants than against a hard 

 line of gravel or stone. We should think the fact self-evident 

 were not instances of what seems to have been a contrary 

 belief so sadly frequent both in public parks and in private 

 grounds. We have too often praised the beautiful aquatic 

 plantations which Mr. Parsons has introduced into the basins 

 of our New York parks to feel any necessity for quoting his 

 own words about them. The pictures which are given of 

 these basins will interest readers who live at a distance from 

 New York ; they are extremely pretty and reasonably faithful, 

 although the extent of the basins seems exaggerated, espe- 

 cially where the Bethesda Fountain in the Central Park is 

 shown. 



In an article called "Australian Cities," by Mr. George R. 

 Parkin, published in the March number of The Century Maga- 

 zine, he describes the magnificent harbor of Sydney, and then 

 adds : " I doubt if any public pleasure-grounds in the world 

 contain so many attractions as do the park and botanic gardens 

 bordering on the bay. Inclosing one large arm of the harbor, 

 facing another, and looking out upon the waters where navies 

 can float at ease, their position is unrivaled. The climate 

 favors the growth of sub-tropical vegetation as well as that of 

 the temperate zones, and great skill has been shown in making 

 the most of such an opportunity for effective landscape-gar- 

 dening and interesting botanical experiments. The grounds 

 are large enough to furnish ample room for the thousands 

 who flock to them on Sundays and holidays. Beautiful public 

 gardens are notconfined to Sydney, but form a striking feature 

 of Melborne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Ballarat and every consider- 

 able Australian town. They enter into the life of the people 

 both for pleasure and for instruction. The services of highly 

 skilled botanists are secured to give them scientific interest. 

 Experiments in acclimatization are constantly carried on, and 

 have a wide range from the advantages of climate. Several 

 have attached to them zoological collections of considerable 

 interest. At Ballarat private generosity has added a beautiful 

 collection of Italian marbles. The brilliancy and profusion of 

 the semi-tropical flowers, and the ease with which large num- 

 bers of Tree-ferns are reared in light structures of lattice-work, 

 make possible effects in gardening which are very striking to 

 northern eyes." 



Interesting descriptions of tracts of country little known or 

 wholly unfamiliar to Europeans are contained in Mr. W. W. 

 Rockhill's article called "Through Eastern Thibet and Central 

 China," published in the same number of this magazine. 



The sudden and startling contrasts which are presented in 

 many parts of these regions, and which were noted when we 

 reviewed not long ago Mr. Hosie's account of his travels in 

 central China, are well shown by the passage where Mr. Rock- 

 hill says : " As far as Jydcundo I had found the country deso- 

 late and stony, with only here and there a little brush growing 



