524 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 193. 



P. angustifolia, resulting from pits of the latter species having 

 been brought by the Indians from the south or south-westward. 

 If this is true, it would seem that we have discovered a key to 

 the improvement of the former species, for these hybrids, if 

 hybrids they are, manifest a very satisfactory degree of hardi- 

 ness. The varieties derived from P. angustifolia have not 

 thus far proved hardy in Minnesota or Wisconsin. 



The soil-requirements of the native Plum appear to vary 

 much with different sorts. Varieties that succeed well on a 

 sandy soil may prove worthless on clay, and vice versa. This 

 often explains the discordant and even contradictory reports 

 so often read regarding the value of certain varieties. The 

 sorts that succeed best at Mr. Lord's place, which is on fine 

 alluvial sand, are not, as a rule, the ones that have proved most 

 successful with Professor Budd at Ames, Iowa, where the soil 

 contains more clay. A few varieties, however, like the De Soto, 

 appear successful in nearly all localities. 



The susceptibility of the native Plum to injury from the 

 Plum curculio has been the subject of some dispute. It may 

 be safely said that the native Plums possess no immunity from 

 attack by this destructive insect. It appears, however, that the 

 proportion of larvae that develop is much smaller in most na- 

 tive varieties than in the varieties of the European Plum. How 

 far this is due to the thicker skin of the native species it is diffi- 

 cult to say. The idea that the native Plum requires no pro- 

 tection against the curculio is erroneous. The proportion of 

 fruit that is destroyed by this insect, even on nearly worthless 

 wild varieties, is often very large. Few precautions seem to 

 be taken at present to hinder the work of the curculio by those 

 who grow native Plums, but I think the time is not far distant 

 when some protection will be regarded as a necessity by the 

 growers of the finer varieties. 



It is generally conceded that productiveness in the native 

 Plums is promoted by the intermingling of the trees of different 

 varieties. Certain varieties appear nearly incapable of fertiliz- 

 ing their own flowers, while others, as the De Soto, seem 

 specially adapted to serve as fertilizers. It is possible that 

 much is yet to be learned upon this point, and that the com- 

 plaint of unproductiveness in the native Plum may often arise 

 from an unfortunate combination of varieties. 



The production of the finer native Plums on a commercial 

 scale is as yet in its infancy, but promises rapid development. 

 The planting of some of the recently introduced varieties is 

 now being delayed only by the limits of propagation. The first 

 orchard of native Plums started with reference to selling the 

 product, appears to have been that of Mr. Lord, of Minnesota 

 City, which is now about twenty years old. The number of 

 such orchards at the present time is not large, but is increasing. 



Some difficulty is experienced in propagating the native Plum 

 under north-western conditions. The stocks used for the Euro- 

 pean Plum are not satisfactory, and, so far as fully tested, only 

 the native Plum itself is best adapted for its own stock. The 

 seedlings of pure natives are rather difficult to obtain, the de- 

 mand for them at present exceeding the supply. The pits are 

 not a commercial commodity, and must be picked up, usually 

 in small lots, and -they are not very reliable for germination. 

 Budding in our hot summers is a precarious operation, and 

 the keeping of cions and root-grafts is attended with some diffi- 

 culty by those who have not yet learned the secret. Even top- 

 grafting in our fickle spring weather is somewhat uncertain. 

 But these difficulties will doubtless disappear before the knowl- 

 edge developed by careful experiments. 



University of Wisconsin. -£•• >J. GOJJ. 



Roses. 



THE much-dreaded "black-spot" often makes its appear- 

 ance on Roses under glass the latter part of September 

 or early in October, and while in some instances this disease 

 seems hard to account for, in a majority of cases it is caused 

 by an excess of moisture, either at the roots or in the atmos- 

 phere. All syringing or watering should be done early in the 

 day, so that the atmosphere may not be saturated with mois- 

 ture at night, for if the foliage of the Roses shows beads of 

 moisture in the morning it is evident that the house is too 

 damp or too cold, or both, and as a result a visitation of " black- 

 spot" maybe looked for. A solution of sulphate of copper 

 has been used for this fungus by some growers with a certain 

 degree of success ; in fact, a bench of La France Roses, on 

 which an experiment with copper solution had been tried, 

 showed a marked difference when compared with an equal 

 portion of the bench on which the plants had not been sprayed. 

 It may be advisable, when experimenting with this solution, 

 to keep the liquid off the soil as much as possible, as Mr. A. 

 W. Pearson has pointed out in a recent issue of Garden 

 and Forest, for his experiments certainly seem to demon- 



strate that the copper has an injurious effect on the soil when 

 used out-of-doors. A similar result is quite possible with 

 Roses under glass, though I do not know of any such instance. 

 It is best to remove all decayed leaves, especially if affected 

 with "black-spot" or mildew, and to burn them at once. 

 Cleanliness is essential to the highest cultivation of most 

 plants, and to none more so than to Roses. The first crop is 

 the hardest to manage, and strong, well-ripened plants should 

 be selected and every possible advantage given them. 



For early crops of hybrids in pots it is necessary to start 

 plants into growth at once, as at least twelve weeks will be re- 

 quired to bring them into bloom. In the matter of heat much 

 care is needed to secure early hybrid flowers. When given 

 too much heat in the first stages of growth the shoots are 

 likely to prove blind, and though these blind growths some- 

 times make another start later in the season, and then produce 

 flowers, this hardly repays for the loss of time and space in 

 the first place. The better plan is to start Hybrid Roses with 

 but little heat, and gradually increase the temperature up to 

 fifty-six degrees as the growth advances. A stimulant in the 

 form of liquid manure should be given as the root-action in- 

 creases, care being taken not to sour the soil by injudicious 

 use of the latter. After the holidays it is much easier to force 

 hybrids into bloom, and while care is at all times essential if 

 fine flowers are desired, the plants are less impatient of any 

 slight omission when the processes of nature are less hurried. 



In the selection of early varieties Heinrich Schultheis should 

 not be omitted, this being one of the best early pink Roses, 

 though closely followed in good qualities by the old favorite, 

 Anna de Diesbach, and also by Anna Alexieff. In the same class 

 are the standard sorts, Ulrich Brunner, Mrs. John Laing, 

 Madame Luizet and Magna Charta. 



The propagation of Tea Roses for next year's stock will 

 soon demand attention, and where the stock-plants are limited 

 in number it is best to begin the work early in the season by 

 putting in successive lots of cuttings as the wood can be 

 spared. This is not the only consideration in the matter, for 

 there is also a decided advantage in having strong and sturdy 

 plants in readiness for early planting the following summer. 



Still another sport from Perle des Jardins has been sent out 

 during the year, and being of Canadian origin has been named 

 Toronto. It is claimed to be superior to its parent in all 

 respects, though of similar type. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplin. 



Pot-plants for Spring Use. 



TN addition to the commonly grown Deutzia gracilis, Astilbe 

 *■ Japonica and a few other shrubs and herbaceous plants 

 which are forced for spring use, and generally put in tubs or 

 pots, and stored in pits until required, there are several which 

 may be added with advantage. The common Foxglove {Digi- 

 talis purpurea), in purple and white varieties, makes an excel- 

 lent plant for piazza decoration. Good strong plants, potted 

 now and placed in a cool pit, come along with scarcely any 

 fire heat and bloom by the 1st of May, at which season, in this 

 latitude, it is scarcely safe to expose more valuable forced 

 plants, such as Roses, fancy Pelargoniums, and the like. The 

 common Canterbury Bell is another equally good plant, and is 

 just a little later than the Foxglove. Last year I experimented 

 with quite a number of dwarf-growing hardy plants, with a 

 view to testing their value for early forcing, with poor suc- 

 cess. Many were very pretty, but the'great objection is their 

 poor lasting qualities. A few, however, were added, which 

 may be considered useful, mainly on account of dwarf habit 

 and unique color. Among these are the Swiss Bugloss (Ajuga 

 Genevensis), which produces numerous dense spikes of in- 

 tense indigo blue flowers, which last a long time. Another 

 is the comparatively new and pretty Mexican Alum-root 

 {Heuchera sanguinea). This plant, in addition to handsome 

 foliage, a characteristic of the genus, and for which reason 

 alone many of the species are grown, produces spikes fifteen 

 to eighteen inches long, of fair-sized magenta-red flowers. 

 Prunella Webbiana, a very handsome species, has violet-pur- 

 ple flowers of good lasting qualities. The main objection to 

 this is the fact that an inferior, yet bright and free-flowering 

 species is a common weed everywhere. 



English hybrid Primroses are becoming as generally grown 

 for market purposes as Violets. They are sure to become 

 popular, and remain so. Their flowers are produced in great 

 abundance during February and March under the same treat- 

 ment given to Violets, and are of decided colors and fragrant. 

 Clear yellow is the favorite color now, but good crimsons and 

 whites will be in demand. No two more beautiful colors 

 could be associated in a bouquet than Primroses and Forget- 

 me-nots, nor are there two names more full of sentiment. It 





