796 



IDAFIO 



extremes of temperature prevuil in the southern portion 

 of the state than in the northern. The summers are 

 hotter in the south than in the north, and the rigors of 

 -winter are more severely experienced. 



Irrigation for the successful cultivation of crops is 

 necessary over most of the southern portion of the 

 state, below the 45th parallel of latitude. North of this 

 there is generally an abundance of rainfall, the atmos- 

 phere is humid, and the soil is retentive of rnoistnre. 

 The native soils of Idaho are mostly of volcuni*- origin, 

 interspersed with clay and sandy loam, and altogether 

 quite fertile. Excepting in the narrow mountain valleys, 

 and in tlie deep canyons of the Snake river, altitude 

 largely determines the character of horticultural pur- 

 suits. According to the United States Weather Bureau 

 records, some of the altitudes are these : Lewiston, 047 

 feet; Kootenai, 1,7.50 ; Payette, '2,1.50 ; Fort Sherman, 

 2,196; Moscow, 2,571; Boise, 2,880 ; American Falls, 

 4,J41; Blaclifoot, 4,50!^; Fort Lemhi, 4,700; Idaho Palls, 

 4,7^2; Paris, 5,940; Atlanta, 7,000. The known altitudes 

 are named at points which are considered most advan- 

 tageous for estimating variations for the whole state. 

 Much of the south-central portion of Idaho contains vast 

 lava beds, and hundreds of square miles are thus occu- 

 pied. Among them, however, lie fertile irrigated areas. 

 The wild sage brush covering these extensive table- 

 lands grows most luxuriantly, often attaining to a height 

 of sis feet and over. Along the streams and bottom- 

 lands of southern Idaho are growths of willows and pop- 

 lars, and in the mountain gulches a black haw and dwarf 

 maple skirt the water courses. Very little shru})bery 

 grows in the mountains. In the mountain regions above 

 iin elevation of 4,500 feet, pine, spruce and fir abound. 

 That portion of the state north of the 45th parallel con- 

 tains fine forests of pine, fir, tamarack and cedar. The 

 mountains, hills and valleys are also well covered with 

 small deciduous trees and shruJibery, which for ages 

 have contriVjuted towards the establishment of a soil 

 rich in organic matter. The list of species of deciduous 

 plants found native in this part of the state is so exten- 

 sive that it would seem out of place to name them in 

 this article. There are no wild fruits of economic im- 

 portance growing in the state. 



Horticultural operations are conducted within narrow 

 Umits above an altitude of 4,500 feet. Up to 3, .500 feet 

 elevation, fx'u it- raising has shown great promise. The 

 best adapted sections for raising apples lie within the 

 counties of Latah, Nez Perce, Washington, Canyon, Ada, 

 and more limited in portions of Elmore, Boise, Cassia. 

 <_)wyhee, Lincoln and Kootenai. Apples can also be 

 produced in other counties to a very limited extent. 

 Even in Bear Lake county, at an elevation of 0,000 feet, 

 some varieties are being raised successfully. 



The horticultural inspectors of the various horticul- 

 tural districts last year made a careful computation of 

 the fruit acreage in their respective territories, and re- 

 ported as follows : Ada countv, 5,581 acres ; Bannock, 

 100; Bear Lake, 100 ; Bingham, 1,100; Blaine, 350 ; 

 Boise, 141 ; Canyon, 5,300 ; Cassia, 507; Custer, 185 ; 

 Elmore, 875; Fremont, 1,000; Idaho, 200; Kootenai, 

 1,500; Latah, 5,900; Lemhi, 200; Lincoln, 840; Nez 

 Perce, 2,000; Oneida, 1,000; Owyhee, 210; Shoshone, 

 1,200; Washington, 2,4.50. These figures show for the 

 whole state a total of 30,805 acres planted to fruit. The 

 figures include orchards, vineyards, and small fruit 

 plantings, and are considered very re]ial)le. Consider- 

 ably the largest acreage is apples; then follow prunes, 

 peaches, pears, cherries, nectarines and quincps in the 

 order named. Small-fruit growing covers an important 

 ]torti(>n of the acreage given. 



All kinds of forest trees suitable to uotiheru climatic 

 I'onditions can be grown with excellent success within 

 the state. j?. ^\, Huntley. 



IDfiSIA (Yobrants Id.^s, Dutch traveler in China). 

 Bir<).ce<T'. A genus wln.'se only spe<-ies is a Japan(_-se 

 tree, hardy as far north as Piiiladel])hia. It is a large. 

 raf>id-growing, deciiiuous tree, with large Ivs. Ijorue on 

 reddish stalks and loose clusters of fragrant, greenisii 

 yellow fls. which are inconspicuous except for their 

 prominent anthers, and numerous orange-colored ber- 

 ries about the size of a small r-herry. Fls. dioecious, the 

 parts in 5's (or 3-0) ; sfq>als tomeutose, imbricated, de- 



ILEX 



ciduous; petals 0; stamens indefinite, inserted on a 

 small disk with villous filaments: ovary of pistillate fls. 

 globose : berries with an indefinite number of seeds. 

 Prop, by green wood and root cuttings. 



polycdrpa, Maxim. Height 40 to 50 ft. : Ivs. drooping, 

 5-10 in. long, sometimes 8 in. broad, usually cordate- 

 acuminate, sometimes oblong or orbicxilar, deep green, 

 margin distantly serrate, glaucous beneath, petiole 4-6 

 in. long : panicles shorter than the Ivs., pendulous : 

 staminate fis. 3^ in. across. Var. crispa has curled foli- 

 age. B.M. 0794. R.H. 1872, pp. 174, 175; 1878, p. 254 ; 

 1888, pp. 463-405. P. 1874, pp. 04, 05. 



Joseph Meehan and W. M. 



ILEX (the ancient Latin name of Quercus Ilex). In- 

 cluding Prinos and Othera. I/ichiece {or Aquifolihce(e). 

 Hot.lv. Ornamental evergreen or deciduous shrubs, 

 with alternate, simple, sometimes Sftiny Ivs., small, in- 

 conspicuous, whitish tls. in axillary clusters or solitary, 

 and black, red or sometimes yellow berries, remaining 

 on the branches often until the following spring. Of 

 the evergreen species, only I. glabra and /. rugosa are 

 ((uite hardy North, and also I. opaca and /. crenata in 

 somewhat sheltered positions. /. Aquifol'mm and /. 

 cornuia are more tender but stand many degrees of 

 frost if sheltered, while most of the others can only be 

 grown South. Of the deciduous species, /. decidua, I. 

 monticola, I. Icevigafa and verficillata are hardy North; 

 also /. Sleholdi and some other Japanese species are 

 hardy or nearly so. The Hollies, especially those with 

 scarlet or red berries, are highly .ornamental, and the 

 berried branches of /. opaca and /. AquifoHum are in 

 great demand for Christmas decoration. Also /. Iwri- 

 gata and verticiUata, the prettiest in fruit of the decid- 

 uous kinds, are sometimes sold for this purpose. The 

 deciduous species are mostly shrubs, while many of the 

 evergreen species grow into small or medium-sized trees, 

 and I. opaca is the tallest of the broad-leaved ever- 

 greens which are hardy North; the evergreens/, crenata, 

 glabra, rugosa, always remain shrubby. Ilex opaca fills 

 the old, deserted and very dry and sunny, barren fields of 

 the South, and thrives on extremely poor soil, and has 

 good color, too. This trait is worth noting. /. Aqui- 

 follum is a favorite evergreen in English gardens, and 

 numerous varieties are there in cultivation; it stands 

 severe pruning well, and can be clipped and trained into 

 almost every shape; it also makes fine hedges, but its 

 slow growth is a disadvantage. As the chief value of 

 the deciduous species is in the ornamental fruits and 

 Ihe Hollies are dioecious, care should be taken to select 

 in planting a few staminate ones, but mostly pistillate 

 plants, and to give the latter the most prominent place. 

 The light, close-grained and tough wood of some of the 

 arborescent species is much valued for turnery-work, 

 engraving and cabinet-making. The Ivs. of some tropi- 

 cal species, as /. Paraguariensts and/, conocarpa, yield 

 a kind of tea known as Yerba de Mate, or Paraguay Tea, 

 which is much used in S. America. The Hollies grow 

 best in rich, well-drained soil, and the evergreen ones in 

 partly shaded situations, but /. l(jeingata , verticiUata and 

 also Sieholdl prefer moist places, and grow even in 

 swamps. Most of the species grow slowly, and are not 

 easily transplanted when older. The best time for mov- 

 ing the evergreen species is the early fall, when the 

 young wood has almost ripened, or in the spring just 

 before the plants start into new growth. The leaves 

 should be stripped on /. opaca and/. ylgiuYo^ntm, when 

 transplanted, particularly if at all exposed — or at least 

 nearly all. This is absolutely necessary to insure suc- 

 cess. "Wild Hollies may be handled this way with suc- 

 cess, particularly if cut back as well. Prop, by seeds, 

 which do not germinate until the second year, and are 

 therefore stratified and treated like those of the slow- 

 growing hawthorns. The yuing seedlings should be 

 transplanted after the second year. The evergreen spe- 

 •■ies may be increased by cuttiugs of ripened wood under 

 glass, especially the shrubby ones ; they are also some- 

 times grafted or budded on seedlings of /. ^(?)a/'<'?i»»'- 

 or oparif. Al)Out 175 species in N. and S. America, tropi- 

 cal and temperate Asia and few in Africa, Australia and 

 Europe. Lvs. petioled, with small, caducous stipules: 

 fls. dian'ious, usually in rather few-fld. axillary cymes; 

 calyx lobes, petals and stamens usually 4, sometimes 



