BUDS, BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



meeting of the American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, held m Detroit in 1S76, I showed that 

 the two broad, flat stigmas of trumpet creeper, mar- 

 tynia, bladderwart, and several species of mimulus, were 

 curved apart in fresh flowers. On a warm day, as an in- 

 sect crowds into the flower the stigmas are touched be- 

 fore the anthers are reached. After a few seconds, 

 while the insects "sips the water" below, the two 

 stigmas approach each other, and mutually and com- 

 pletely cover the portion which is sensitive to pollen. 

 As the insect backs out of the flower, no pollen can be 

 left on the stigma of the same flower. I then antici- 

 pated, and have since seen, that the same state of things 

 exist, in pinquicula, and in species of catalpaor bignonia. 

 — W. J. Beal. 



"An Improved Dibber." — (Page 682.) I don't like 

 the word "improved." You can pad the handle of any 

 dibber. But, padded or not padded, give that tool to a 

 market-gardener, and set him planting cabbages by the 

 thousand with it, and, if, at the end of the first day, he 

 has one good word to say for it, please send him Ameri- 

 can Gardening for a year at my expense, and the dibber 

 to me as a curiosity.— W. F. 



A hearty invitation is extended (page 683) to the 

 friends of American Gardening to visit Editor Long's 

 home, at La Salle-on-the-Niagara. Go, every one of 

 you who can. I have already been there, and I not 

 only got a hearty welcome, but fared well and was 

 mightily interested in his plantations and experiments. 

 — W. F. 



Remarkable Tenacity of Life.— (Page 758.) Prof. 

 W. H. Ragan's article on the tenacity of life of the 

 Scotch pine, mentions a case where the bark had been 

 completely girdled, without seriously interfering with 

 the aftergrowth and development of the tree above the 

 space girdled. In Lincoln Park, Chicago, there is a 

 Scotch pine that was accidentally girdled some years ago, 

 which would answer in its description that described in 

 Prof. Ragan's article.— W. C. Eg.^n. 



Improvement in Vegetable Varieties.— (Page 681 ) 

 I have cultivated Henderson's Bush Lima ever since it 

 was introduced, and have been trying my best to learn 

 to like them, but find it impossible. I think they are no 

 more to be compared to I"Cing of the Garden or Dreer's 

 Improved, than an ear of field-corn is to an ear of Honey 

 or Stowell's Evergreen. We have used Henderson's 

 Lima, both in the green and dry state, and find them 

 entirely lacking in the rich buttery flavor of the best pole 

 Lima. The size also is against them ; they are so small, 

 both in pod and bean, that it is quite a task to gather them . 

 I think the "coming bean " is Burpee's New Bush Lima. 

 I purchased a packet last spring, but had the misfortune 

 to have one plant destroyed by cut-worms in the early 

 stage of its growth. The other three grew and bore an 

 abundant crop of large, full-sized beans. I secured 436 

 perfect beans from my three plants, and all will be 

 planted next year. They should be planted, one bean 

 in a place, and at least two feet apart, three feet between 



rows. I find it pays, in planting Limas, to stick them 

 with the fingers eye down. Limas are very tender when 

 coming up, and if the ground is baked or packed with 

 heavy rains, it is almost impossible for them to push their 

 way through the tiard soil if they are planted on their 

 sides. 



The American Wonder Pea is the favorite here, being 

 early, productive and of excellent quality. No other 

 dwarf pea is grown in my garden. 



The Japanese Wineberry fruited (or at least tried to) 

 this season, and it is the most utterly worthless novelty 

 I have ever had on my place. 



If we would only look around us at home with e) es 

 wide open, we might often find something of as much or 

 more practical value than anything that can be pur- 

 chased of the dealers. A few yearsago some blackberry 

 bushes sprang up by the fence, beside the cornfield. 

 While walking near there, I found them loaded with 

 such berries as I had never seen or tasted before. I 

 now have two rows of these berries in my garden, and 

 consider them far ahead of any berries I have ever be- 

 fore cultivated. 



I do not think much of the Crandall Currant. My 

 three-year-old bush has had good cultivation, but never 

 bore half a dozen currants. — L. E. Lippincott, ///. 



Laing's Begonias at the World's Fair. — (Page 684.) 

 Glad to know they are coming. Laing has got the stuff- 

 there is no better. But he will have to exert himself 

 most vigorously if he expects to have a walk-over. We 

 are not now dependent on Europe for Ai tuberous-rooted 

 begonias, and Mr. Laing knows it. His son opened his 

 eyes in amazement on a Long Island farm this autumn, 

 when he stood in the midst of a field of 20,000 begonias, 

 of as good a strain as one might expect to find at F"orest 

 Hills. But send your best begonias, Mr. Laing, for, 

 as yet, they lead the world. And more than all, come 

 yourself, John Laing. Come— see this broad land of 

 liberty, whence sheckles freely flow to thee. Come 

 where old friends shall meet thee, and thousands new 

 shall greet thee. — W. F. 



Bedding-Plants in the Buffalo Parks. — That's 

 right. You do need them, and should have them. But 

 the trouble all along has been, the city wouldn't pay for 

 them. All cities that have a display of bedding-plants 

 in their parks pay specially for the show. There is an 

 impression abroad that Superintendent McMillan is op- 

 posed to the use of bedding-plants in public parks, but 

 this is a mistake ; he favors their legitimate use, but is 

 opposed to their abuse. The whole show, in the way of 

 hardy or tender plants, depends on the liberality of the 

 city, and not on the superintendent. Give to Mr. Mc- 

 Millan the means, and I am satisfied no man in the 

 country can put them to better use. But where it is 

 needful to depend for the requisite funds on city offi- 

 cials, it is not surprising that there should be difficulty 

 in obtaining money for artistic floral or foliage displays. 

 — Wm. Falconer. 



