1875. 
THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY . 
187 
Peruvians or aboriginal inhabitants amidst the 
wild scenery of their native forest, his eye 
suddenly glanced at this curious flower which 
hung in festoons from the trees over head, and 
like St. Patrick with the shamrock, he saw with 
the eye of a saint a vivid picture of the sad story of 
Calvary. The rings of thread which surround 
the cup of the flower and which are mottled with 
blue crimson and white, suggested the crown 
of thorns, stained with blood. To his mind, tutor¬ 
ed by meditation, the five anthers on the stamens 
represented the five wounds, the styles the nails 
which fixed our Blessed Lord to the cross and 
the singular column which rises in the centre 
of the flower were made to bring before the 
minds of these wild savages w the harrowing 
scene of the second sorrowful Mystery of the 
most Holy Rosary. So without Bibles or books 
did this holy man instruct his converts on the 
passion, and to this day our beautiful creeping 
garden flower is called the passion flower, which 
in all languages bears the same name. 
EDITO RIAL NOTES. 
Our Present Humber.— In consequence of 
some six weeks struggle^with sjckuesj, we had 
to leave the getting up of the present number to 
our Associate Editor. During two weeks when 
confined to bed, and unable to move hand or 
foot, not the least of the writer’s anxieties was 
how the magazine could possibly get along with¬ 
out him. But here we are again at our desk 
just as the magazine is going to press, with the 
sheets in our hand, and our young associate beg¬ 
ging us to apologize for the short comings of this 
number. The writer dislikes to thrust his per¬ 
sonal sufferings on his readers. Deaths and sor¬ 
rows have frequently crossed his path since he 
has edited this magazine,—but these troubles 
were for himself and not for bis friends, and he 
could not ask consideration for the weakness of 
some numbers, without exposing the cause. 
He departs from the rule now, against his own 
judgment, and especially >s he sees nothing to 
ask consideration for. There may not be as 
much from his own pen as usual,—but we think 
the reader will find the number quite as well 
filled as it ever has been,—and indeed it is a 
source of great pleasure to the editor to feel as 
he looks over these sheets, that when again in 
the order of Providence he may be held back 
rom his labors on the magazine, his presence 
fill not be materially missed. 
We see one addition that needs to be made to 
the paragraph in regard to Mr. Yandeman’s 
note on page 174, on the apples for northern 
Ohio. Benoni is, as he says, a late summer apple. 
It was an accident that included it in the win¬ 
ter list. It should have been named as was in¬ 
tended in the other set. It is one of the apples 
intended to “ cover the whole season.” 
Mr. W. T. Harding. —As we stated recent¬ 
ly in consequence of the failure of the authorities 
to make an appropriation for the gardener’s 
salary this year, Mr. Harding will have to seek 
a new engagement. Mr. Harding has held sev¬ 
eral positions as gardener in private places, and 
as superintendent in commercial establishments, 
until led off by the unreliable charms of more 
public positions, and we presume would be glad 
to return to his first love. We are often asked 
for gardeners of superior knowledge of their busi¬ 
ness,—but it sometimes happens when the man 
is ready, the places are not. 
Otto& Achelis. —This large and well known 
nursery firm at West Chester, Pa., has been dis¬ 
solved by mutual consent, Mr. Achelis purchas¬ 
ing the whole of his partner’s interest. Mr. 
Achelis is a gentlehfem highly esteemed by all 
who have.relations with him in any capacity 
whatever ; and all who know him will wish him 
every success in his new enterprise. 
Mr. F. R. Elliott. —Whose contributions to 
our pages our readers appreciate, has taken up 
his abode in Rochester. He will pursue his pro 
fession as a landscape gardener,—and perhaps 
engage in some useful fruit books—a branch of 
knowledge on which no one is better able to im¬ 
part instruction. 
Recognition of Merit—Charles Down¬ 
ing. —The Gardener's Chronicle of London, 
England, in its issue of January 30th 1875, gives 
a tolerably fair portrait of our countryman, 
Charles Downing, the well known veteran 
poraologist of America. After alluding inciden¬ 
tally to the rapid strides made in our country in 
the great and growing interest taken in fruit 
growing, it gives a biographical sketch of this 
good man who has devoted so much of his life to 
the nomenclature and determining the synonyms 
of all the fruits grown throughout the length and 
breath of our vast country. Every one who 
knows Mr. Downing personally counts him as one 
of the best of the good and true in all that is noble 
and worthy of being emulated by younger men 
now following in his footsteps. The Gardener's^ 
Chronicle is without doubt the most able, scientific 
