105 



4, 



general? With such, and others that we are accus- 

 tomed to bed out, we might give to our gardens that 

 grand and imposing appearance which tropical plants 

 alone can produce. 



Of ornamental plants to be found already in our 

 gardens, in summer, what flower is there that can 

 produce the dazzling brilliancy known to the CoJeus 

 Verschaffeltii. There are but few, if any, that 

 could by any means be made to equal it. The beauty 

 of such a bed would be enhanced by the interming. 

 ling of that pretty, silvery-white leaved plant, Cen- 

 taui-ea ragimaa. 



The Iresiine Herhstii, I presume, may now be 

 classed as one of our necessary plants for the garden 

 in summer, although I am aware that its good qual- 

 ities are still disputed. My impression of it was 

 unfavorable as an acquisition throughout the sum- 

 mer months, but as soon as the cooler months of 

 autumn f^arae, they seemed much benefited thereby, 

 and their appearance, which, previously, had been 

 very common-place, improved very much, and forced 

 m3 to acknowledge "there was something in them." 



They, like the Coleus, repay us better if planted 

 in partial shade, in summer ; — it brings out the deep 

 purplish color in them, which, contrasted with the 

 other tints, constitutes their beauty. The Iresine 

 requires less heat than the Coleus, a fact worth re- 

 membering when planting. 



It has become customary with Europeans to make 

 borders, of some small plants, around their flower- 

 beds. Usually, they choose those with white or va- 

 riegated foliage, such as Stachys, Cerastium, Cen- 

 taurea, variegated Balm, and various others. They 

 are all hardy here, and can be left out all winter, — 

 excepting the Centaurea. 



I think if more attention were given by us towards 

 selecting plants for bedding-out purposes from those 

 usually termed "Hothouse Plants," our gardens 

 could be made to rival those of Europe. If we lack 

 the atmospheric moisture they find so beneficial, or 

 I may say essential, to their bedding plants, our 

 extra heat gives us the choice of others, which they 

 could not put outside of their stoves with safety, 

 thus enabling us to adorn our homes with tropical 

 plants in summer, which are, in most cases, of 

 more beauty, and more pleasing than those of colder 

 climes. 



r 



HYBRIDIZING THE PEACH AND PLUM. 



BY JOHN H. CHRISTIE, DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE. 



Much was said about the Peach and Plum hybrid- 

 izing, in the Gardener s Monthly^ before the war, — 

 since, I have not seen it spoken of I live in the 

 South, and, consequently, I could not get th^ 



MontJily during the war, so I do not know what 

 was going on, in that line of business, all that 

 time. 



In the year '57 or '58, I planted a lot of Wild 

 Goose Plum seed, borne on trees that had grown 

 among some Peach trees, (this Plum and Peach 

 both bloom about the same time,) and I raised some 

 thousands of them. Some of them resembled the 

 mother Plum very much, and some were so near 

 like Peach trees it was almost impossible to distin- 

 guish them, unless compared together; and there 

 were all grades between the Plum and Peach. 



I then thought I had accomplished the great 

 feat of hybridizing the Plum and Peach, but. iu 

 time, I found I was mistaken. Those that were 

 nearest like the Plum bore a little, hard plum, not 

 the tenth part as good as the Wild Goose Plum ; 

 and those like the Peach have not borne at all yet. 

 They set their bloom like the Peach, but when they 

 bloom out they have no petals, and soon fall off, 

 setting no fruit. 



I wish some one, who is experienced in making 

 barren trees fruitful, would send and get some 

 grafts and try them (the trees are, without doubt, 

 part Peach and part Plum). I will send grafts to 

 any one that will pay the postage. 



I can here state that the Wild Goose Plum, where 

 it has been tried, is found to be the best plum in 

 the South. It is the hardiest tree of the stoned 

 fruits that we have in cultivation in this country. 

 The greatest objection is its too great fruitfulness. 

 The tree often breaks to pieces on account of the 

 greac quantity of fruit. The fruit is very large and 

 very fine flavored. 



RARE EVERGREENS AT THE WEST. 



BY MR. S. EDAVARDS, LA MOILLE, ILL. 



In your valuable magazine for February, I notice 

 some enquiries from Mr. Robert Douglas, of Wau- 

 kegan, Illinois, in regard to hardiness of several va- 

 rieties of Evergreens. Having bought some little 

 experience in that line, at a high figure, it affords 

 me pleasure to give others the benefit of it. 



Corsican Pino suffers very much, though it lives 

 through our winters. Pinus cembra, P. mitis and 

 P. resinosa are perfectly hardy, desirable. Men- 

 zies' Spruce, Douglas Spruce, Thujopsis borealis and 

 Libocedrus decurrens are all tender here. Picea 

 Nordmanniani suffers very little, P. pichta none, — 

 both are desirable. 



