1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
23 
“ No-w what is true of grape vines is much 
more true of roses, for the vine having better 
recuperative powers, can stand mutilation of 
the root better than the rose. It is no exaggera¬ 
tion to say that 50 per cent of all roses that are 
sold, dug from the open ground^ die the first 
season they are planted; that is if they are one 
'year old plants on their own roots; older plants, 
or budded plants may do better, but in no case 
will they compare with plants grown in pots, 
even though such plants are not half the size. 
In conversation with a western nursery agent 
the other day, he admitted that no article that 
he sold, gave him so much trouble as the rose, 
not a case that he had heard from but the 
result had been unsatisfactory. In one in¬ 
stance only 15 out of 100 lived, and these were 
ih such a condition that they would not winter 
over. In roses planted from pots, not one in 
a thousand need be lost, and 
a healthy grow.th and abundant 
bloom will , always be insured, 
f “ But to return to the grape 
vines, some of the great moguls 
of the trade have given their 
fiat, that for reasons given they 
have entirely discarded pot cul¬ 
ture, and now grow exclusive¬ 
ly on ‘ broad borders’. At once 
a host of small fry, parrot-like, 
take up the cry and tell us that 
they, too have discarded pot 
culture and now grow only in 
‘broad.borders.’ Now may we 
ask if there is not some other 
reason for this very confident 
and radical assertion ? is there 
not ‘ a hog in the fence’ some¬ 
where to occasion all this liber¬ 
ality and benevolence to the 
dear public? Of course, the 
question of cost in the rival 
modes is uuthought of. In case 
it may be, it might be well to 
state that a vine raised in the 
‘broad borders’ unstaked and 
otherwise uncared for, can be 
grown at a handsome profit at 
$10 per 100; while a properly 
grown vine, in a six or eight 
inch pot, that has been duly 
pinched, staked, and shifted, 
will not very quickly make the 
fortune of the grower at $50 
per 100. It wmuld be interesting 
to know if these facts have had 
anything to do with inducing 
this rapid and radical change of 
system with some cultivators. 
I am afraid these horticultural products of 
the ‘ broad borders’ have even ihore merit than 
the Yorkshire man’s razors, for they are at 
once made both to ‘ sell ’ and to ‘ shave.’ ” 
Winter Greens—The Club-Mosses. 
There are many things common enough in 
’the country, for which the city pays a sum 
that, in the yearly aggregate is quite large. 
During the Christmas holidays New-York City 
has doubtless paid thousands of dollars for green 
leaves and bright berries for holiday decoration. 
For several days preceding Christmas, in the 
streets around Washington market, it seems as 
if the principal business were* the buying and 
selling of Evergreens. The Jersey people who. 
live near where the Holly, Inkberry, Laurel, and 
other such shrubs grow, reap a rich harvest at 
such times. Not only are these shrubs brought to 
market in sloop loads, but great quantities of 
humbler plants, such as the Pipsissewa, and the 
Club-mosses, are made up in wreaths and bunch¬ 
es to meet the demand. Of all these greens, 
none are more delicate ?n strutoture, or more 
vivid and lasting in color than the Club-mosses. 
Our engraving represents one of the prettiest of 
these, the Lycopodium dendroideum, the Tree¬ 
like Club-moss. It is also called Ground-Pine, 
a name likewise applied sometimes to some of 
the Horse-tails, (see August No., 1865.) The 
species under consideration arises from an un¬ 
derground creeping stem, to the hight of 6 to 
10 inches. The branches are disposed in a 
graceful fan-like manner and sire thickly clothed 
with minute leaves. At the top of the stem 
are borne the fertile spikes, which are made up 
LTCOPODIUM DENBROIDEUM. 
of scales regularly overlapping one another. 
These scales stand for flowers, the plant belong¬ 
ing to the series of flowerless ones. In a little 
■sac on the underside of these "scales, are con¬ 
tained the spores, or bodies which reproduce 
the plant and answer the purpose of seeds. An 
enlarged scale, showing its underside, is given 
in the lower left.hand corner of the engraving. 
The spores are produced very abundantly, and 
when collected, form a powder which has a pale 
yellowish color,and a very smooth feel when rub¬ 
bed between the fingers. The spores of several of 
the species are knpwn in commerce as Lycopo¬ 
dium. It is used by druggists to envelope pills to 
keep them from sticking together, and is also 
used in theatres to imitate lightning. When 
the spores are diffused through the air as a cloud 
of dust they burn with a sudden . flash. This 
species presents considerable variety; the one 
figured has the leaves lying close to the branch¬ 
es, while others have them more erect. This 
one is much valued by the florists to use in 
making up bouquets, and is brought to New- 
York City from various parts, some as far as 
from Lake George. This wildliug of our woods 
is needed to make the exotics of our green¬ 
houses more beautiful. Another species of Ly¬ 
copodium, L. complanatum^ is much used in 
making wreaths. It has very long and strong 
stems, with numerous fan-like branches, which 
are shorter and coarser than L. dendroideum. 
■ ■ ^ ft f i ga ' ■ . r* 
Select Chrysanthemums in Flower. 
These come in flower- so late, present so great 
a variety of color, and are withal so showy, that 
they fill a place for which we have no other 
flowers. They are not nearly as common as 
they should be, as nothing is 
easier to raise; clumps of them 
along the borders or massed in 
beds of well arranged colors, 
give the garden a gay appear¬ 
ance even after hard frosts; and 
there is a richness about them 
that well accords with the sea¬ 
son of ripened fruits and Indian 
summer suns. Then, for in-door 
decoration they are most valu¬ 
able, as they continue in bloom 
for a long time. While they 
are yet in bloom, is the right 
time, to make a selection of va¬ 
rieties for next j-ear. We have 
two classes, the large flowered, 
and the dwarf or “ Pompone” 
varieties, each of which presents 
us colors from pure white, yel¬ 
low and rose to deep maroon, 
with all intermediate shades. 
The large flowering kinds are 
better out of doors, while the 
others are more adapted to pot- 
culture. When grown in the 
border, the plants are apt to get 
too dense, and it is best to let 
.only as many stems remain as 
can grow without overcrowd¬ 
ing. The plant may be grown 
from cuttings, taken early in 
August, or from the great num¬ 
bers of shoots W'hich an old 
root throws up in spring. Fine¬ 
ly shaped specimens may be 
made for potting, by giving 
proper care to those in the 
border,-or they may be grown 
in pots altogether. A good spe¬ 
cimen has but- a single stem, which is w’ell 
furnished with short branches; this is produced 
by pinching out the ends of the shoots to induce 
the. lateral buds to push. " In a rich, light soil, 
the plants will grow with great vigor and be 
well set with buds by the time frost comes, wdren 
those for in-door bloom may be potted. They 
will wilt at first, but will recover with a few 
days’ shading, and wdien well established, an oc¬ 
casional watering with liquid manure will in¬ 
crease the strength and beauty of the bloom. 
When flowering is over, the pots may be set in a 
dry cellar or shed until spring, when the plants 
may be started into growth to furnish a new stock. 
The thumb and finger lightly rubbed over the 
foliage of thick-leaved plants, will do much to¬ 
ward destroying the red spider and other insects. 
