1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
185 
the tree as Torreya Californica, a name which 
having priority ot publication, though European 
•writers do not seem to be aware of it, must 
take precedence of that of Hooker, who in 
giving the specific name, recognized tlie name 
of nutmeg (Myriitiea) given it by the Califor- 
which is interesting, and may be regarded as 
historical in its associations; it (or the seed) 
was brought from Florida, by the late distin- 
guished Maj. Le Conte, and was cultivated for 
many years by New York's earliest florist, the 
late James Hogg, (father of the present editor 
A Double Bedding Lobelia. 
^ 
When Mr. H. E. Chitty, of the Bellevue 
Nursery, Paterson, N. J., returned from Europe 
last summer, and told us that he had brought 
over, among other varieties, a double blue 
CALirORKiA NUTMEO.'— (Toirej/a Cahfonika.) 
NEW DOUI'.LE nWAia 
nians. "We were led to notice this tree, from 
the fact that it last year fruited in France, in 
the celebrated nurseries of Thibaut & Keteleer, 
and a fruiting branch of the natural size was 
given in a recent Revue Horticole, whose en- 
graving is here reproduced. 
The genus Torreya was established nearly 
40 years ago by Arnott, from specimens of a 
fine tree in Florida, which he called T. tax:folki ; 
it belongs to the sub-family of the yews, but as 
compared with the true yew, the pulpy envelop 
surrounding the seed is exceedingly thin. It 
is hardly necessary to say that the genus was 
samed in honor of the late Doct. John Torrey, 
a name held in loving reverence by every 
American botanist and lover of native plants. 
Since the Florida species was made known, at 
least three others have been described : T. 
nuc'fera, of Japan, T. fjrandis, of northern 
China, and T. Callfornica, of our own Pacific 
coast ; there is possibly another in the Bogotan 
Andes, but this is not well e.=itablished, but 
without this all Americans should be glad that 
the genus bearing this precious name should 
have so wide a range. In Europe the Torreyas 
are highly valued in cultivation, but they can 
hardly be said to have had a fair trial with us, 
as is often the case the Florida species is much 
more readily procured abroad than in this 
country, and this is hardy in a more severe 
climate than that of New York City. There 
is now on Central Park a tree of this species 
of the American Garden), and was at length 
removed to Central Park, where we hope it may 
long survive. Though this is a native tree, it 
is more difficult to procure than one from the 
Himalayas ; wishing a specimen, to replace a 
lost one, we were obliged to send to Eu- 
rope for it. Of the two Asiatic species we 
can say but little ; of the Califomian Torreya 
we had a small specimen, but in the winter of 
a few years ago, when native red-cedars and 
such trees, were killed in the spot where they 
had stood for 50 years, this went to the brush 
heap with many other treasures. In California 
it makes a large tree, according to that State's 
most indefatigable explorer. Dr. Kellogg, it 
grows in the Sierras at least 100 feet high, and 
with a diameter of 15 inches, furnishing wood 
of great hardness and durability. The tree 
which fruited in France, was about 15 years 
old, and to translate from M. Carrii re's article, 
it " is one of the handsomest trees that one can 
see, and possesses all the qualities which should 
make it sought for," — " it is nearly G meters 
(about 20 ft.) high, and the stem is furnished 
from the base to the summit, the branches so near 
together and covered with leaves, that it forms a 
compact mass of green with a very fine effect." 
It is hoped that experiments may show that 
this fine evergreen will be hardy with us ; at 
all events should it get fairly into commerce, 
and not be hardy at the north, it can be en- 
joyed by our friends in the southern states. 
lobelia, we were disposed to pooh-pooh at it. 
Doubling is all well enough with some flowers, 
but others are better single, and among these 
we thought were the lobelias. " Wait until you 
see it," was his reply. He remembered that 
there was but one way of convincing us, and 
in due time there came a couple of plants, 
which have been in the greenhouse all winter, 
and — well, we give it up. This double lobelia is 
better than a single one. This variety originated 
as a chance seedling in the nurs'eries of Messrs. 
Dixon & Co. , Hackney, London, in 1873, and 
was first exhibited at the exhibition of the 
Royal Hort. Society early in 1873, where it 
received a firet class certificate. It is given in 
the catalogues as Lobelia ■puinUa flore-pUno, 
which will do well enough for a name until we' 
have a better ; a dwarf strain of the old Lobelia 
Erinvn, has been called pumila, and this plant 
looks as if it might belong to that. Its habit 
is even more dense and branching than the well 
known sort ; it has a great disposition to spread 
side-wise, and but little to run up, at least while 
under glass ; its flowers, which are abundantly 
produced, are handsomely double, and remind 
one at once of miniature double Larkspurs, of a 
dark blue, inclining a little to violet. While we 
aremuchplcased with what we have seen of this 
plant, it is but fairtosay that in Eugl.and opin- 
ions differ very widely as to its merits; while 
some of the writers for the jounials state that it 
has been a sore disappointment, and even a fail- 
