1882.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



107 



Mil Ilk 



COOL HOUSES AND DRY CELLARS. 



During midsummer many country houses, 

 strange as it may seem, are less comfortable 

 than average city houses. Without facilities 

 for keeping the rooms cool and the cellar 

 dry, country life offers but little attraction 

 during these hot days. 



To accomplish these desirable objects the 

 New York Times offers the timely suggestions 

 that "this may be done by closing all the 

 windows about eight o'clock in the morn- 

 ing and opening them only after six in 

 the evening; dark green window shades 

 being inside of the white ones will keep out 

 the heat of the sun, and the darkness will 

 drive out the flies. Children and old persons 

 suffer greatly if they cannot rest for an 

 hour or two about midday, and in a cool, 

 dark room, where there are no flies, an hour's 

 rest for the weary mother and the young 

 children may be easily secured. The windows 

 may be opened at night, when the air is 

 cooler and less damp than in the daytime, 

 and thorough ventilation given. 



The condition of the cellar is much im- 

 proved by the same treatment. If the cellar 

 windows are open in the daytime and the 

 warm air let in, a large quantity of moisture 

 comes in with the hot air and is deposited 

 like dew on the cellar walls and floor. This 

 encourages mold, and in a few days the cellar 

 is impregnated with mildew. The cooler 

 night air contains less moisture, and if a 

 bushel of fresh lime is kept in the cellar it 

 will absorb a great quantity of moisture from 

 the air and keep the cellar dry. A bushel of 

 lime, weighing eighty pounds, will absorb 

 twenty-seven pounds of water before it be- 

 comes at all damp. A peck of it will absorb 

 more than six pounds, and a peck is very 

 manageable. When it is slaked down to a 

 powder and appears very moist, it can be 

 taken away and fresh lime supplied. Half 

 a bushel of lime will completely dry the air 

 in a cellar thirty by twenty feet, and seven 

 feet high; but it is not requisite to dry it com- 

 pletely ; all that is wanted is to absorb the 

 surplus that cannot be held in the air at a 

 temperature of forty-five degrees or fifty 

 degrees. Then the cellar will be practically 

 dry, and there will be no mold or moisture 

 or earthy smell about it. 



This is of the utmost importance in dairies 

 where milk, cream, and butter are kept in 

 cellars, and more so in regard to food. It is 

 known that the spores of common mildew 

 will produce germs that are found in the 

 stomach and blood in certain diseases. It is 

 quite logical to believe, then, that to eat 

 musty or moldy food will be dangerous to 

 health, and may produce serious diseases as 

 surely as impure water will. Sometimes a 

 cake taken from a damp cellar may be found, 

 on breaking, to contain fine glutinous strings 

 or threads, which stretch from piece to 

 piece. These threads are mold. Pies and 

 bread are often imperceptibly moldy in 

 warm, damp weather, and consequently dan- 

 gerous to health. So that a damp cellar may 

 be easily a source of unsuspected danger, 

 and the dampness may be all due to an 

 improper method of ventilation. The cellar 

 should, then, never be ventilated in the day- 

 time, except in dry, cool weather, when it is 

 perceptibly warmer than the outside air." 



}|§FtIiiltwil Societies. 



THE NEW YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The annual Eose and Strawberry Exhibi- 

 tion of this flourishing society was held at 

 Republican Hall, on the 2 2d and 23d of 

 June, having been postponed from the pre- 

 vious week, on account of the unusually late 

 season. Several of the exhibits were highly 

 meritorious, and, considering the very unfa- 

 vorable season, the exhibition was all that 

 could be expected. 



The secretary, Mr. Jas. Y. Murkland, on 

 whom, as usual, all the heavy work fell, 

 deserves much credit for the excellent ar- 

 rangements and judicious management. The 

 exhibition tables were arranged all around 

 the sides of the large hall, leaving the center 

 open for the multitudes of visitors who con- 

 stantly flowed in and out. 



ROSES. 



The display of cut Roses, these being the 

 only ones admitted, was an extensive one, but 

 unfortunately the heat was so intense that 

 the freshness and beauty of the flowers lasted 

 but a few hours. 



The first premium for the best display of 

 cut Roses was awarded to W. A. Burgess, of 

 Glen Cove, L. I., whose large and beautiful 

 collection attracted general attention. John 

 Finn, Tremont, N. Y., was the fortunate 

 winner of the second prize. It is to be re- 

 gretted that the Roses in these collections 

 were not named, a circumstance which was 

 very annoying to visitors who desired to in- 

 crease their rosarian information. Gustave 

 Brower, of New York City, exhibited a 

 very select and choice collection of Roses, 

 among which we noticed fine blooms of 

 Alfred Colomb, a splendid Rose of large form 

 and of bright cherry-red color; Anna de 

 Diesbach, a well-formed flower of large size 

 and of a brilliant rose color ; Captain Cristy, 

 Countess of Oxford, Prince Camille de Rohan, 

 Madame Victor Verdier, Baroness Rothschild, 

 and other well-known favorites. Thomas Tait 

 was awarded the first premium for the best 

 twelve hybrid perpetual Roses, viz. : Madam 

 Griffith, Madame Victor Verdier, Mrs. Annie 

 Wood, Gen. Jacqueminot, Lord Raglan, 

 Charles Margottin, Prince of Wales, Paul 

 Verdier, Eliza Boelle, James Goujon, and 

 Jules Margottin. 



Mr. Burgess also received a premium for 

 the best six Marechal Niel Roses, also first 

 for the best six Moss Roses, viz. : Luxem- 

 burg, Salet, common Moss, White Cluster, 

 Angelique, and Marie de Paris. Isaac 

 Buchanan exhibited six blooms of Paul Neron 

 of immense size, and his blooms of Jules 

 Margottin, Mrs. Annie Wood, and Senator 

 Vaisse, were of fine form and size, and were 

 superbly colored. Peter Henderson exhibited 

 six superb blooms of Baroness de Rothschild 

 and Countess of Oxford. Excellent speci- 

 mens of Madame Alfred de Rougemont, Ni- 

 phetos, Mrs. Annie Wood, Paul Verdier, 

 Madame Victor Verdier, and General Jacque- 

 minot, were also shown by different exhibi- 

 tors. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



The most conspicuous novelties were 

 "Jersey Queen" and "Manchester," and it 

 was actually some relief to perceive a reac- 

 tion from the prevailing rage for improve- 

 ment of size only. Jersey Queen is, 



although very large, of beautiful form and 

 attractive appearance. "Manchester" is 

 especially recommended as a market berry, 

 being of good size and quality,very firm, and 

 most productive. 



The first premium for the best collection 

 of twenty-five varieties was awarded to Rev. 

 E. P. Roe, whose fruit showed great care 

 and good cultivation. Bidwell, Seneca 

 Queen, and Sharpless were especially note- 

 worthy. J. T. Lovett, whose exhibit was 

 but little inferior, secured the second prem- 

 ium. His Manchester, of which he showed 

 several plates, formed a great center of 

 attraction. The premium for the heaviest 

 fifty berries of any variety, as well as for the 

 best two quarts, was awarded to Peter Hen- 

 derson & Co. for Jersey Queen. Mrs. Clark- 

 son N. Potter received the prize for the 

 heaviest ten berries, for President Lincoln, 

 the aggregate weight of the ten berries being 

 twelve ounces. Mrs. Potter exhibited also 

 splendid specimens of Champion, and as her 

 gardener had the good judgment to renew the 

 berries the second day, they looked as bright 

 and fresh at the close of the fair as at its 

 opening. 



ORCHIDS. 



At the last moment it was decided to 

 admit these for exhibition ; and they did cer- 

 tainly add very much to the bright appearance 

 of the hall and the interest of the exhibition. 

 The plants in Mrs. Morgan's collection were, 

 as usual, conspicuous for their health and. 

 vigor. The most prominent were fine speci- 

 mens of Cattleya Gigas, C. Warnerii superba, 

 Odontoglossum vexUlarium, and Lwlia empatka 

 alba, a rare species, and probably flowered 

 for the first time in this country. The col- 

 lection also comprised several Cypripediums, 

 among which C. superciliare was the greatest 

 novelty. 



Mr. Isaac Buchanan exhibited a variety of 

 Cattleya Mossice, varying in intensity of color. 

 Also a fine plant of Lwlia purpurata, and a 

 specimen of the rarely flowered Lwlia majalis, 

 besides plants of DendroUum thyrsiflorum, 

 D. ParrisMi, and ]>. Devonianum. 



Mr. Wm. C. Wilson's exhibit contained 

 a variety of Cattleya Mossia? named superba, 

 a pale-colored flower, with the lip marked 

 with a brighter crimson spot and orange color 

 than is commonly seen. Also a small plant 

 of DendroUum Falconerii. 



Mr. Taplin exhibited Lcelia majalis and two 

 nicely flowered plants of Epidendrum viteUi- 

 num. 



Mr. John Finn exhibited a collection of 

 nine Cattleya Mossice of various markings and 

 shades of color. 



Mr. Bush's exhibit of six plants consisted 

 of Cattleya Gigas, with a remarkably dark- 

 colored lip, a finely flowered Cypripedium 

 Yeitcliii, JErides quinqnevulnerum, JE. Daya- 

 num, DendroUum suavissimum, and Lwlia 

 zanthina. 



Mr. Charles F. Erhart exhibited Vanda tri- 

 color, Dendrobium Eicrarrfii lalifolium, and 

 Lcelia crispa ; also a small plant of a purely 

 white Cattleya Mossim, and a Lcelia majalis. 



Mr. Wm. White's exhibit contained the 

 curious Vropedium Lindenii, Odontoglossum 

 Earwinsld, 0. nccvium, MasdevalMa Davissii, 

 and nicely flowered plants of Odontoglossum 

 Roezlii and 0. Boezlii album, and Cypripedium 

 Lawreucianum. 



There will be no monthly meetings of tho 

 Society during July and August. 



