THEY SAY. 



307 



ure has endowed them with a thick rough bark, a protec- 

 tion so unique and perfect in all its equipments that the 

 tree stands, in some instances, firmly and majestically 

 against all the vicissitudes of summer and winter, for over 

 2,000 years. 



The bark differs widely in quality ; on some trees it is 

 coarse and spongy, and half an inch in thickness, per- 

 haps no more potent in repelling heat and cold than the 

 bark of another tree with very fine texture and one-half 

 its diameter, especially if this latter tree happens to 

 have rough bark like the yellow birch. This scaly, rough 

 exterior will modify the direct rays of the sun, and thus 

 prevent "sun scald." In a climate where the extreme 

 summer heat surpasses that of central equatorial Africa, 

 as appears to be the case in the northwest, trees with a 

 thick, or even rough bark, cannot be too highly prized. 

 It is a simple fact, when one comes to fully understand 

 it, that no plant, however hardy in its inherent woody 

 cell structure, can long endure 105° of heat, and 50° be- 

 low zero, unharmed, unless properly clothed. We were 

 so elated when we made the discovery that a tree with a 

 good thick bark or one with a very rough bark, like the 

 shellbark hickory or hackberry, would not "sun scald" 

 in this climate of tropical heat, that we had to invent a 

 new phrase expressly for such worthy plants — trees with 

 persistent bark. 



This study of tree bark has led us to one of the most 

 important discoveries ever made for the pomology of the 

 northwest, that among all the different species of the 

 apple tested in this climate, nature has endowed but one 

 with a rough exterior finish that just fits it for this cli- 

 mate of great extremes of heat and cold, and that is the 

 Pyriis coronaria or wild crab. — A. W. SrAS, Minnesota. 



Manettia cordifolia. — This is not a plant of recent 

 introduction, as it has been in cultivation since the early 

 part of the century. It was brought into general notice, 

 I think, by Mr. Wm. D. Brackenridge, now of Govans- 

 town, Md., who collected it on the west coast of South 

 America when botanist of the Wilkes South Sea Expe- 

 dition. It has been long used in the greenhouse for late 

 fall and winter blooming, but it does well out-doors and 

 is useful on small trellises. The fleshy roots can be 

 kept nearly dry in soil or sand in winter, in a cellar, 

 and can be readily propagated by cuttings of the roots 

 in heat in spring. The flowers are small, but numer- 

 ous. A pink variety of manettia is said to grow in 

 Cuba, but I have never seen it. — W. F. Massey, N. C. 

 Experiment Station. 



The Horticulturist's Prayer. — When you ask the 

 Lord to multiply and preserve the fruits of the earth, 

 supplement your prayer with a force pump and arsenic. — 



Dr. J. A. LiNTNER. 



The Peach Crop will undoubtedly be light this year. 

 The unprecedented warm weather of early winter caused 

 the buds to swell, and the sudden cold snap in March 

 injured them seriously. In the Michican peach region 

 and along the Atlantic coast, as well as in all interior 

 places, the damage is great. 



Varieties of Plums and Black-Knot. — Secretary 

 Woodward says that Lombard, in western New York, is 

 particularly liable to black-knot, and he has cut out his 

 Lombards for this reason. Bradshaw is an excellent 

 plum. The Niagara is the same ; it is liable to over- 

 bear. The Richlond is one of the most profuse bearers ; 

 it always needs thinning. The Washington is one of 

 the finest plums grown, but is especially liable to rot in 

 some years ; it escapes black-knot to a large extent. 



Propagating Case. 



An Efficient Propagating Case. — The accompaning 

 illustration of a prs)pagating case should have appeared 

 with Mr. Card's article on the propagation of dracsenas 

 and nepenthes in our last issue. The case is a simple 

 bottomless box about four feet long, three feet wide, and 

 two feet deep, and covered with sash. . In such a case 

 the temperature and moisture are under the control of 

 the operator, and good results are easily obtained. 



The Food of the Sparrows. — My own personal 

 observation goes to confirm the general opinion that 

 these birds are graminiverous, and only sparingly insect- 

 ivorous, mainly during the breeding season. Like animal 

 life generally, they are governed by their environment. 

 They go where there is the most food. I have often 

 seen the suggestion made that we kill and eat them, but 

 for myself I beg to be excused, for if I am not mis- 

 taken, over half their food is found in horse-dung 

 dropped iu the streets. The unmasticated grain therein 

 seems to be just to their liking, and is mainly the food 

 given to their young. This handy and ever present 

 supply of food is the main cause of many of their hab- 

 its, and the reason why they come from the country to 

 winter in our towns and cities. It also explains why 

 these birds are less insectivorous here than in Europe. 

 We use more horses and feed them mainly unground 

 oats, which are often found unmasticated in the dung ; 

 and this further explains why these birds are fat and 

 lazy, and breed so enormously. They are very cunning 

 and wary. Nothing escapes their observation. I have 

 often thought that they were malicious as well as mis- 

 chievous, for they slyly and clandestinely pick open the 

 skin of my grapes, apples, plums, pears and cherries. 



