The Garden Magazine, December, 1921 



209 



Unequalled in its horticultural resources is that stretch of 

 Pacific borderland closely resembling the climate of western 

 Europe, and destined to become the greatest garden region of 

 -our vast land. 



2. — A continental interior climate, which commences abruptly 

 with the crossing of the lofty western mountain barrier, severely 

 cold in winter, excessively hot in summer; at any season con- 

 stantly interrupted by storms, droughts, floods, and sharp ex- 

 tremes following one another without warning; 'and an annual 

 range of temperature far greater than for corresponding latitudes 

 on the western coast — with summer rains chiefly, though they are 

 few; and a daily temperature range, like that for the year, great 

 and often trying to all manner of life. 



3. — An eastern coast climate, really a modified form of the 



There is one practical lesson to be learned from these facts of 

 climate — that these differences as between the Pacific Coast 

 region and the Atlantic states are fundamental, and that while 

 the former may grow practically everything that the other 

 enjoys, the converse does not therefore follow. There are 

 limitations; and it is in view of this that The Garden Magazine 

 dedicates to that particularly favored region, as yet young in 

 garden lore, a December annual. 



WHAT IS THE "MOST ARTISTIC" DAHLIA? 



IT IS noted that Insulinde won this distinction at the Short 

 Hills Dahlia Show, as stated in the November Garden 

 Magazine, and now comes the news from California that Insu- 

 linde just missed receiving Dr. Tevis's prize for the "most 

 artistic" Dahlia in the San Francisco show. It was given 

 to Ambassador, a wonderful Hybrid Cactus produced 

 by Mr. Broomall. The judges settled on three Dahlias, 

 including Shudow's Lavender and Insulinde, finally 

 selecting Ambassador; the second place went to Insu- 

 linde, and the third to Shudow's Lavender. 



THE OPE^C COLUMN 



Readers' Interchange of Experience and Comment 



T! 



The Equal Annual Range of Temperature, i. e. difference in degrees between the 

 averages of January and July, is shown by the numbered lines. Small arrows 

 indicate ocean currents. Large double arrows are the prevailing winter 

 winds, warm from the ocean, cold and dry from the land. (Map adapted 

 from original in Davis' "Elementary Meteorology", modified by Henry Hicks) 



preceding, where prevailing winds coming overland create 

 far greater variations — both seasonal and temporary — than 

 occur in California, Oregon, Scotland, Holland, etc., despite 

 the modifying effects of the ocean. Along the coast proper the 

 relatively mild but unsettled winters are due largely to occa- 

 sional easterly winds from off the Gulf Stream; but this current 

 soon veers across the Atlantic to warm the shores of northern 

 Europe, leaving New England and corresponding latitudes to 

 the none too tender mercies of blasts from inland. This region 

 is humid, with a fairly well distributed precipitation, but it is 

 also subject to frequent extremes of rainfall no less than of 

 temperature. 



4. — A mountain climate which, being mostly outside the range 

 of plant cultivation, need not detain us. 



WHAT a country in which to attempt to grow plants! 

 Where, as Dr. Trelease, then of the Shaw Botanical 

 Gardens once remarked, " You get the cold of the north and the 

 heat of the south — simultaneously!" 



And yet, where else are offered such admirably varied and 

 complete facilities for the cultivation of plants, properly chosen? 

 Where else can be found so many opportunities for fitting plants 

 to the conditions that best suit them — and for finding out what 

 these conditions are. For, contrary to the probable impressions 

 of most of us, it by no means follows that plants under cultiva- 

 tion should be given conditions identical with those of the regions 

 in which those plants grow wild. Plants may grow naturally in 

 a particular place not because physical or climatic conditions 

 there are definitely most favorable, but because of the absence of 

 insect or other enemies or influences that could prevent them 

 from thriving. 



Despite our climatic problems and obstacles, we can grow, 

 and are growing, plants that are at least equal to those raised 

 anywhere else in the world. Surely, even if slowly, America is 

 becoming a nation of gardens; and we a people of garden 

 lovers and garden workers. 



Mr. Galsworthy's Flower Paintings 



HE news that Mr. Frank Galsworthy and his delightful 

 flower paintings have returned to America will be wel- 

 come to many of our readers who last year failed to have the 

 opportunity of seeing this gardener-artist's work. Being a 

 true gardener, a plant collector and practical grower, as well 

 as an accomplished painter, he portrays his flowers faith- 

 fully as to color, form, and detail — they are portraits in 

 the true sense. In New York the pictures will be open to view at the 

 Kingore galleries on December 13th, and other cities will be visited 

 later. The Garden Magazine is fortunate in being able to reproduce 

 one of Mr. Galsworthy's flower pictures for the cover of its February 

 number in association with an article from his pen on flower painting. 



No Birds, No Crops 



To the Editor o/The Garden Magazine: 



AN ACTIVE interest is being awakened on behalf of the birds, I 

 note with pleasure, and the October Garden Magazine has some 

 very good articles on the subject. In talking with various people one is 

 impressed with the fact that so few have any knowledge of the im- 

 portant relations between birds and the raising of crops. What freedom 

 from insect pest we do enjoy is due largely to the welfare work of the 

 birds. Without birds crops cannot flourish. Multiply the accom- 

 plishments of one average bird as shown by official records, and you will 

 see the amazing possibilities of increased numbers of birds. The 

 testimony of the several Experiment Stations, etc., is far too voluminous 

 to quote here, but one brief citation will suffice. 



At Clark University a captive bob-white ate in a day 100 chinch bugs, 

 12 squash bugs, 2326 plant lice, 39 grasshoppers, 12 cut worms, 12 

 army worms, 568 mosquitoes, 101 potato beetles, and 8 white grubs. 



Another bob-white devoured in a day 1350 flies, 5000 Chrysanthe- 

 mum black flies, 1286 Rose slugs, and 700 miscellaneous insects of which 

 300 were grasshoppers. This bird will eat 141 different species of 

 insects and 129 species of weed seeds. The number of seeds taken in 

 a single day by one bob-white accounts for 105 seeds of Stink-weed, 

 400 seeds of Pigweed, 5,000 seeds of Pigeon-grass, 10,000 seeds of 

 Lambs-quarters. 



It is estimated on that basis by a high authority that the bob-whites 

 in Virginia and North Carolina consume annually between September 

 1 st and April 30th, 1341 tons of weed seed and 340 tons of insects. A 

 family consisting of two adult birds and ten young will consume 980,915 

 insects, 59,797,888 weed seeds in a year, in addition to other food. 

 Some birds require one-half their weight in food daily. These figures 

 seem impossible, but are facts and no more wonderful than the flight 

 of birds during migration covering at tremendous speed more than a 

 thousand miles without rest. — James R. Pitcher, New York. 



