The Garden Magazine, December, 1920 
213 
Bees in Relation to Good Crops 
when carloads of the choicest grades of Red Clover seed were purchased 
from farmers in eastern Pennsylvania by local dealers who in turn 
shipped the seed to New York and Philadelphia exporters, to supply the 
farmers in countries across the sea. Clover seed then sold at 8 to 12 
cents a pound — ridiculously low figures as compared with the present. 
State and county horticultual exhibitions furnish frequent examples 
of the value of the bumble-bee and common honey-bee as aids in pro- 
ducing successful fruit crops. At a recent county fair, where hundreds 
of entries made the competition between grape growers keen, practi- 
cally all the leading prizes were awarded to one grape grower. The 
bunches of grapes displayed by him were remarkable for their size, 
color, and uniformity. After the awards had been announced and the 
winning plates and varieties properly placarded by the judge, the 
champion prize-winner explained that his success was largely due to 
the fact that he kept bees in his vineyard to the mutual benefit of all 
concerned. The thorough pollination of the blossoms through the 
medium of the bee and the consequent increase in honey production 
resulted in financial gain from two sources. He advised any one having 
a dozen or more bearing grape vines to establish a colony of bees near 
them, or if the grower did not desire to keep bees, he would do well 
to have if possible a neighboring apiarist install a colony in the vine- 
yard, through the blossoming and fruiting period, and pay him for the 
trouble of moving the bees to and from the vineyard. The grape 
grower’s profits can be doubled by this comparatively simple expedient. 
— Oliver D. Schock, Harrisburg, Pa 
American Rose Society 
A NEW Rose, Eugenia, is registered by H. S. Collier, Seattle, Wash- 
ington. It is a Pernetiana, sport from Madame Edward Herriot, 
described as “ similar to the parent in all respects except that the 
flowers are flecked or striped with yellow.” 
to the Editor oj The Garden Magazine: 
T HE Pennsylvania Department of 
Agriculture has issued a call for the 
greater protection of the bumble-bee, 
alleging that the wanton destruction of 
our bumble-bees’ nests has caused a genu- 
ine and serious economic loss. In addi- 
tion to the destruction of nests and bees 
unnecessarily, this season’s weather condi- 
tions have been very unfavorable for the 
propagation of these highly beneficial 
insects. As a result it is predicted that 
the crop of Red Clover seed to be gathered 
in Pennsylvania will be the smallest gar- 
nered in a decade. The writer remembers 
A WOODLAND PATH WINDING THROUGH A CITY GARDEN 
This remarkable bit of planting is convincingly delusive. Mrs. John S. Wood has created a 
little fairy-land of her own in the heart of Alameda (California) in which the Australian 
Fern-Tree (Alsophila Australis) and the Tuberous-rooted Begonia each play a friendly part 
birica. Seed of Japanese Iris and of Gladiolus are readily obtained as 
many dealers furnish them. The Japanese Iris is especially interesting 
to raise as it varies greatly and one has an exciting time when the 
young plants first bloom. If the bumble-bees have been sufficiently 
active no two may be alike. — A. H. Botsford, Edgemoor, Del. 
Bellflowers as True Shade Plants 
To the Editor of The Garden Magazine: 
( SHOULD like to add my observations upon the perennial Bellflowers 
to those of E. Herrick recently given in the Garden Magazine. 1 also 
find them true shade plants. Very few of the plants so advertised will 
come up to mark in the shade. The most important species 1 should 
consider Campanula Medium, C. carpatica, C. lactiflora, C. persicifolia. 
The first being a biennial is an infernal nuisance. Besides like many of 
the family, it frequently sulks over till the third year. Persicifolia and 
pyramidalis must be started early from seed if you hope them to bloom 
the second year. Pyramidalis is not dependable in the garden and 
generally dies out after blooming. English gardeners propagate it by 
root cuttings, but I’m willing to concede a great deal to climate. Per- 
sicifolia blooms magnificently in the first blooming. (I dislike all 
the double varieties, but that is a matter of predilection.) The second 
blooming is interspersed with dead flowers and seed pods and I prefer 
to cut the stalks to the base. It will then send up a few spindling 
stalks and resemble a second rate carpatica. The clumps spread 
rapidly and run out if not transplanted— which they resent. Lacti- 
flora has the large fleshy roots of a Platycodon, and comes up in the 
same way, rather late in the spring. It is the most persistent bloomer. 
I consider it practicable. Its color runs from deep blue up through 
the paler shades of blue and lavender almost to white. You must sow 
the seeds under glass as the newly germinated seedlings are fairly micro- 
scopic, but they grow rapidly, and for all I can see the roots get larger 
and more prolific from year to year. Car- 
patica is the most practicable Bellflower, 
glomerata is too purple, so is latifolia mac- 
r-antha. The latter is a plant that requires 
no attention beyond cutting off the large 
seed pods. Alliariaefolia is quite ugly. 
Trachelium an ugly shade and insignificant 
in aspect. The same will do for Grosseki. 
Both will survive persistent efforts to eradi- 
cate. Other species have left no impression 
on my memory. Allied to the Campanulas 
is a rare Bellflower, the so-called common 
Platycodon. Of course nearly everybody 
has this and naturally assumes that his 
enthusiast neighbor has it too. But no; 
the enthusiast neighbor has dug it over in 
the spring! For Platycodon is one of the 
last plants to come up. It ties with a sort 
of little white Bellflower, Nierembergia 
rivularis, but is not so late as Eupatorium 
coelestinum. Platycodon also begins to 
bloom immediately — and is often rewarded 
for these immature efforts by being thrown 
out. In fact it really doesn’t amount to 
anything for at least three years and 
doesn’t acquire its full stature for about 
eight or ten. — Julian Hinckley, Long 
Island, N. Y. 
