5 12 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 192. 



tree, and the quality of the fruit — not high at its best — is much 

 impaired. Westand south of the Baldwin's limit the Ben Davis 

 is at home. This apple is unquestionably of wide range, but, 

 although it is hardy farther north than the Baldwin, the season 

 is too short there, and itattains neither the size nor color normal 

 to it in the Ohio and Missouri valleys. In quality this apple, 

 when well grown, is barely good, but out of its range, north- 

 ward, it is almost worthless. Among long-keeping apples, I 

 know of none having so wide a range as Ben Davis. 



Even summer and fall apples do not usually give satisfac- 

 tion over a large territory, either in latitude or longitude. I 

 think there are almost no real exceptions to this rule among 

 our apples from western Europe and their American seed- 

 lings. The Early Harvest has been pretty widely distributed 

 because of its earliness, and it has proved productive almost 

 everywhere, but healthy scarcely anywhere. I venture to say 

 that we are likely to find the tree-fruits that will prove valuable 

 over the widest extent of territory in America east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, among those of Russia and northern Asia. Ac- 

 cording to the American Pomological Society's list, as shown 

 by the starring, the apples of the widest successful distribution 

 within its territory are the Oldenburgh and Red Astrachan. 

 The latter has more stars than any other apple in the list, and 

 is double-starred for twenty-six states and provinces — extend- 

 ing from New Brunswick to Louisiana. Oldenburgh is double- 

 starred for nineteen states, covering the same range. This, it 

 seems to me, is probably so because the apples of western 

 Europe are not so well suited to eastern America as the apples 

 of eastern Europe and Asia. It is true that many of them 

 have been very successful, and that their seedlings have often 

 surpassed their parents. Nearly every popular apple in 

 America (outside of the Russians) is a native seedling ; but 

 excellent as many of them are, nearly every one has a rela- 

 tively narrow range, both in latitude and longitude. 



The Russian tree-fruits are, no doubt, of mixed as well as 

 uncertain origin ; but it is probable that many, if not all of 

 them, are either of home or more eastern nativity. They are 

 mostly early in season, and particularly so when brought to 

 this country and planted ten or fifteen degrees southward of 

 their original habitat. But there is good reason to believe that, 

 by growing seedlings from them, with skillful crossing, long- 

 keepers of merit can be produced, adapted to all sections. 

 Some such seedlings are already known. The Pewaukee, 

 which is becoming popular in Wisconsin and Canada, is such 

 a seedling from crossed Oldenburgh seed, and is a fair keeper. 

 The lately introduced North Star, or Dudley's Winter, is said 

 by its producer to be a pure Oldenburgh seedling, he having 

 no other variety on his place. It is a good keeper in north- 

 eastern Maine. 



It does not surely follow that because these fall Russian 

 apples have a very wide range of adaptation all their Ameri- 

 can seedlings will resemble them in that respect. But I sub- 

 mit that, in the experience we already have with them and 

 their seedlings, we have encouragement in thinking them to 

 be a promising race of apples, with very acceptable charac- 

 teristics ; and that the growing of seedlings from them, either 

 pure or crossed with valuable winter varieties of the old stock, 

 is worth the attention of our agricultural colleges and experi- 

 mental farms. Heretofore the progress and improvement of 

 our tree-fruits has been dependent almost wholly on chance, 

 and so long as it depends upon individuals it will probably not 

 be different in the future. But the work of the horticultural 

 departments of our agricultural schools can be made continu- 

 ous, and may be intelligently and perseveringly pursued to 

 effective results. In thirty or forty years they could provide 

 the country with a series of fruits for all seasons and sections, 

 far more valuable than any we now possess. 

 Newport, vt. T. H. Ho skins. 



Vanda Batemanni. 



IT is within five years of being half a century since this mag- 

 nificent species was described by Dr. Lindley in the Botan- 

 ical Register from a specimen which flowered a year earlier 

 in the collection of Mr. Bateman, that being the first to bloom 

 in England. The plant was discovered in the Moluccas by 

 Gandichaud, who gave it the name of Fieldia lissochiloides, 

 from a supposed resemblance to some member of the genus 

 Lissochilus. The resemblance was not strong enough for Dr. 

 Lindley, however, so he ignored botanical etiquette, and, after 

 due explanation, named the plant Vanda Batemanni, out of 

 regard for the great authority on Orchid matters. The genus 

 Fieldia has been suppressed, and should not be confounded 

 with Cunningham's mono-typic genus of the GesneriacecE of 

 the same name which is still in existence. Some species of 



Vanda, including V. Batemanni, were separated from that 

 genus by Reichenbach and given the name of Stauropsis, the 

 one now recognized by such authorities as Hooker and Ben- 

 tham. But this plant is known only as a Vanda to the great 

 majority of gardeners and nurserymen, and it is highly prob- 

 able that name will survive for many years to come. 



These notes on nomenclature are the result of a careful in- 

 vestigation which followed a recent discussion as to the proper 

 name of a plant of V. Batemanni now in bloom at the Harvard 

 Botanic Garden. The specimen referred to has been in bloom 

 since July, and gives promise of remaining in that condition 

 several months longer. 



Here is Lindley's graphic description of the plant : " It is a 

 very large erect plant, with remarkably thick serial roots, pro- 

 duced after the custom of its kindred, sword-shaped, two- 

 ranked hard leaves averaging two feet in length, and a still 

 larger spike of some score of flowers, each full two inches and 

 a half across, flat, leathery and long-enduring. But it is not 

 alone for their size that these flowers are so especially worthy 

 of notice ; their color is indescribably beautiful. If you look 

 at them in face, they are the richest golden yellow, spotted all 

 over with crimson ; but when seen from behind, they are 

 wholly a vivid purple, fading away at the edges into the violet 

 of Cerens speciosissimns, so that, regard them which way you wilL 

 there is nothing but the gayest and richest colors to be seen." 



V. Batemanni should be grown in pots, in preference to bas- 

 kets, on account of its large proportions. These should be 

 filled to two-thirds of their depth with drainage material, upon 

 which the lower roots may rest, filling up the remaining por- 

 tion with sphagnum, which may be continued and rounded off 

 two or three inches beyond the rim. The plant enjoys abun- 

 dant light, and should have a position near the glass ; but, not- 

 withstanding this, the fierce sun of an American summer is 

 too much for it, and therefore it should be shaded in bright 

 weather during the warmest months. A high stove tempera- 

 ture and plenty of moisture in the atmosphere and about the 

 roots are indispensable during the greater part of the year. 

 The temperature and atmospheric moisture may be reduced 

 considerably in winter with much advantage, but the sphag- 

 num about the roots should always be kept moist, and it must 

 be replaced by a fresh supply when decay appears. 



Cambridge, Mass. M. Barker. 



Begonia Baumanni was introduced by Messrs. V. Lemoine & 

 Sons, of Nancy, in the fall of 1890, and its flowering has been 

 awaited with much interest, it being the only tuberous Begonia 

 species yet discovered which possesses a distinct, clearly de- 

 fined perfume. This species is said to have been discovered 

 by Monsieur Sace, of Bolivia, in the central valleys of the Cor- 

 dilleras and was first described in the Revue Horticole in 1886, 

 under the name of B. de Cochabamba. The tubers are said 

 to attain the size of a small melon, in some cases weighing 

 twenty-four ounces. In the humid atmosphere of its native 

 valleys the plants assume large dimensions and are in growth 

 and flower about nine months of the year. The small tuber 

 which is now in flower with me scarcely does justice to so 

 vigorous a variety. It rested some six months, breaking in 

 April, and has been grown on the greenhouse bench. It has 

 given one stem, smooth, reddish, and erect about a foot high. 

 The leaves are green, finely seamed and veined, reniform and 

 alternate. The plant bears male and female flowers, carried 

 well above the foliage on long stiff peduncles. The female 

 flower is circular, with five petals. The male is furnished with 

 only four, two of which are only partly developed, as is fre- 

 quently the case with Begonias making an oval flower. The 

 color is a clear rosy pink of a bluish shade, the female flower 

 bearing a remarkable resemblance to those of B. Maritani 

 grandiflora, though when well grown it is said to be three 

 to three and a half inches in diameter. 



There seems to be a distinct tendency in the petals to reflex 

 under strong light. Both female and male flowers have a dis- 

 tinct agreeable fragrance, more especially in the morning. 

 The odor is fully as marked as that of B. odorata and may be 

 classed as a Tea-rose fragrance. Larger tubers and stronger 

 plants will doubtless give better results, but there can be little 

 doubt that B. Baumanni is a valuable acquisition for the Be- 

 gonia fancier and the hybridizer. Some faint perfume seems to 

 have crept into some strains of hybrid tuberous Begonias 

 lately, but this species will probably add a more distinct odor 

 to its crosses, while its erect habit and stiff peduncles are in 

 the direct line of desired developments. 



Elizabeth, N.J. /• N. Gerard. 



Eulalias. — As single specimens on lawns or used as part of 

 a group of subtropical plants in the summer garden, these 



