506 
IMPROVEMENT OF SMALL FRUITS. 
duced their flowers with tolerable freedom for 
many years in succession. There is a great 
deal of interest attending even a very mode- 
rate degree of success in the culture of such 
plants as these in the open air. 
POLEMONIUM REPTANS. 
(Li/mceu-s.) 
THE CREEPING POLEHOXIUM. 
The plant which is here indicated is a her- 
baceous perennial, of small stature, seldom 
reaching so much as a foot high, producing 
from the roots numerous elegantly pinnated 
leaves and flower stems, bearing at the top a 
small panicle of blue flowers, formed of five 
somewhat ovate petals ; the flowers are pro- 
duced in July and August. The plant is a 
native of the northern parts of America, and 
is perfectly hardy in this country. It belongs 
to Polemoniaceae, the same natural order which 
contains the Phloxes. 
As an ornamental perennial, this plant is 
well worthy of a place in the flower-garden, 
where it is of course, from its dwarfness, 
most properly kept near the front. It may 
also be introduced on rock work, when that 
position is not entirely devoted to the more 
minute Alpine plants. In either position it 
is of the easiest culture, requiring only to be 
planted in the ordinary soil, and watered in 
very dry weather. It may be propagated 
with facility by parting the roots ; or more 
extensively by its seeds, which are usually 
produced freely, and from which strong plants 
for blooming one season may be raised, by 
sowing about June in the preceding year, and 
transplanting in the autumn. It is one of 
those plants that does not vary much, if at all, 
when raised from seeds. 
Those who have shrubbery borders of any 
extent, would find it conduce much to their 
enlivenment during the summer season, when 
the walks leading through shrubberies are 
sought for the purpose of promenade, to sow 
a considerable number of the easier growing 
and easily obtained perennial plants, of hand- 
some appearance, for the purpose of planting 
them in groups and patches near the walks, 
in those parts where room could be found for 
them in front of or between the forwardest 
shrubs. For this purpose the Polemonium 
reptans, as well as P. cceruleum and P. 
sibiricum, would be well adapted. 
IMPROVEMENT OF SMALL FRUITS.* 
The improvement of the various kinds of 
small fruits which are cultivated in gardens, 
and the due adaptation of them to the various 
purposes for which they are held in requisition, 
is a matter deserving attention. There are 
scarcely any of our smaller garden fruits that 
might not be very greatly altered and improved 
in many ways ; and yet it is seldom that any 
attempt is made to improve them : they seem 
to be almost universally regarded as beneath 
consideration in this respect. That such 
kinds as those alluded to, do, however, possess 
importance, whether regarded as dessert or 
culinary fruit, may easily be seen. Suppose, 
for instance, that strawberries, and raspberries, 
and gooseberries, and currants, were inter- 
dicted, would not their loss be felt ? And 
what would supply their places ? Just in 
proportion as the loss of them Avould be felt, 
must their importance be estimated ; and, judg- 
ing of them by this rule, it would assuredly 
be very considerable. None of the fruits 
already alluded to for the sake of illustration, 
present us with the highest excellence of 
which they are capable, or afford us the variety 
they are adapted to supply. The field of 
experiment is boundless, in this direction. 
We have, it is true, of most of the fruits 
alluded to, varieties which are remarkable for 
various good qualities, such, for example, as 
precocity, lateness, size, high flavour, &c. ; 
but there are few varieties in which as many 
of these good qualities as might be, are com- 
bined. It is notorious that early varieties are 
often tolerated on no other ground than that 
of precocity. Varieties possessing size in any 
remarkable degree, are almost as notorious for 
the absence of the higher qualities of flavour. 
And late varieties, if they do more generally 
possess higher flavour than early ones, are 
often equally with the latter deficient in size. 
Now when it is remembered that such con- 
siderations as these are applicable more or less 
to every kind of small fruit which we culti- 
vate, it will appear that there is very much 
which might be done, many steps which might 
be taken, to effect this work of improvement. 
* From the Gardeners' Journal. 
