BUDS, BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



293 



census, from which it appears that 4,510 nurserymen in 

 this country were growing for sale on their grounds in 

 1890 a total of over three billion trees, vines, shrubs and 

 plants. Nurserymen report that their sales of stock have 

 been remarkably good in recent years. That Arbor Day 

 observance has been very helpful in calling forth interest 

 in planting is most certain. Now, if all the planting that is 

 being done were well done, there would be an inestimable 

 gain. But we know that this is not yet the case, and 

 here the need of educating the people by the reading of 

 instructive books on planting is apparent. If a million 

 copies of the Rural Publishing Co.'s little elementary 

 work, " How to Plant a Place," were distributed among 

 young planters, the percentage of loss by inferior planting 

 would be decidedly lessened. 



Interesting Facts. — At the time of writing these 

 words, the first day of spring, the snowdrops are 

 opening. They came near blossoming a week ago, but 

 a fresh visitation of winter set them back again. To-day 

 they are growing and in bloom ; yet where one penetrates 

 the layer of mud which the warm sun has thawed, the 

 roots are found to be embedded in a frozen crust. The 

 bulbs of some hardy plants are near the surface ; others 

 lie much deeper. Among the latter are those of the dog- 

 tooth violet (erythronium). Thomas Meehan, in his 

 monthly, referring to their unusual and uniform depth, 

 says ; "A sort of stolon is sent out from the bulb of last 

 year, which runs deep in the ground when the root 

 happens to find itself near the surface, but does not do 

 so when it is already as deep as the plant itself seems to 

 think it ought to go. Just why plants have these powers 

 of discrimination has never been clearly ascertained." 

 In the case of lily-growing, it is well known that while 

 the average kinds succeed best when planted five or six 

 inches deep, the California species require twice that 

 depth. 



Spare the Trees. — Not many years ago trees through- 

 out the rural districts were valued only in proportion to the 

 stove-wood or lumber they would yield when cut. To-day 

 there is a growing appreciation of trees for shade and 

 shelter and beauty. Of two farms side by side, the one hav- 

 ing fine trees here and there, in pastures, along the lane 

 and above all in the street and about the buildings, the other 

 with not a tree outside the orchard, perhaps, the former 

 should certainly command a much better price, other 

 things being equal. What a pity that all land-owners 

 cannot understand this. On a farm less than a mile from 

 the writer's home, a handsome soft maple standing by the 

 roadside was recently cut to the ground for fire-wood. 

 Not very far distant is another farm of seven acres with 

 two large white elms standing a few rods back from the 

 highway. Lately we noticed that the owner had girdled 

 one of these trees with a view to killing it, and probably 

 the other will have to go a year later, unless the solicita- 

 tions of neighbors can prevent. If these trees were 

 standing on the writer's grounds a consideration of $500 

 each would be no inducement to have them cut. Oh for 

 a law making it a criminal offense to take the life of a 

 fine tree ! 



Park Enemies. — A blow of such a portentous nature 

 has been struck at Centi'al Park, New York, as to fill 

 friends of city parks generally with alarm. It is nothing 

 less than the passage through the legislature of an act 

 authorizing the establishment within its limits of what is 

 termed "a light-harness drive," but which really is to 

 be a race-track. Lovers of parks everywhere should be 

 on their guard against conspiracies of this kind. It must 

 be insisted on that the object of parks is to supply the 

 restfulness of the country to those who live in towns, and 

 that every step that is taken in the direction of destroying 

 their quiet and pastoral character should be strongly 

 opposed. It is said that a big combine is reaching out 

 for ' ' privileges " in the Yellowstone National Park. After 

 they get the privileges what will the rights that are left 

 count for to the public ? 



Home-Made Weed-Killer.— R. A Kummel, of 

 Indiana, sends us the device here shown. Th.' illustra- 



Home-Made Weed-Killer. 



tion needs little explanation. The weeding-blade is made 

 of an old saw-blade, and fastened to a frame which may 

 be raised or lowered at will. 



A Glorified Brush-Pile. — I used to admire the nas- 

 turtiums even in the days when sprawling plants, covered 

 more or less with faded-looking, reddish yellow blossoms 

 were the prevailing style ; but since I have come to know 

 the choicer kinds my admiration is intensified. Last 

 summer there was a pile of brush in a depression in my 

 garden. We did not find time to fill it in the spring, so 

 the soil about it being good and no other place available, 

 I planted nasturtium and morning-glory seeds near by, 

 and left them to their fate. In a short time they were 

 running riot all over the brush, making a blaze of color 

 with their dazzlingscarlet, golden and rich maroon-colored 

 blossoms. They had barely reached their prime when 

 " the convenient season " arrived, and the depression was 

 filled with earth ; but not before I had taken many bloom- 

 laden branches to brighten the living-room. Several 

 nasturtiums rooted quickly, were potted off in soil, and 

 during the dull dark days of winter they have brightened 

 with their brilliant coloring, and perfumed with their 

 spicy breath, a corner of my little greenery. — Elder's 

 Wife, 



Catesby's Leucothoe. — In the issue of The Ameri- 

 can Garden for August, i88g, the two andromedas.mariana 



