AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
141 
mo.] 
pliores of the Pacific, where we have seen them 
growing in great beauty in the dry, blowing 
sands. In cultivation, they do best in a light 
sandy soil. While traveling in New Mexico, 
the writer had frequent occasion to admire the 
the fragrant abronia— {Abronia fragrans.) 
beautiful Abronia fragrans , the clear white 
flowers and pleasant fragrance of which gave it 
an attractiveness not often possessed by flowers 
of that region. The receipt of a package of 
seeds of this plant from H. A. Terry, Crescent 
City, Iowa, brought up pleasing recollections 
and gave gratifying evidence that the plant is in 
successful cultivation much farther north than 
we supposed it would be hardy. This is a per¬ 
ennial, and does well with Mr. Terry in a sandy 
situation. We give an engraving of the Fra¬ 
grant Abronia, taken from a dried specimen of 
the wild plant. The stem grows about 18 inch¬ 
es high, and the leaves are fleshy and of a dull 
green. The flowers are in umbel-like clusters, 
of a pure white; beneath the cluster is an in¬ 
volucre of several leaves, which are white also. 
In cultivation the flowers are larger than those 
represented in the engraving. Tiie resemblance 
of the flowers to those of the Verbena disap¬ 
pears upon examination. In structure the 
Abronias are much like those of the Four- 
o’clock, both belonging to the same family. 
Abronia is from a Greek word, meaning delicate. 
Spring Flowers—The Twin-leaf. 
In the woods of the West one of the early 
spring flowers is the Twin-leaf {Jeffersonia di- 
pkylla). Its curiously halved leaf readily sug¬ 
gested its common name, as well as its specific 
botanical one, but we cannot see what induced 
Di\ Barton to bestow upon it the name of Jef¬ 
fersonia —in honor of Thomas Jefferson. States¬ 
men and soldiers can be honored sufficiently 
in other ways, without making plants perpetuate 
their names in Jef¬ 
fersonia, Welling- 
tonia, Napoleona, 
and the like. The 
engraving gives 
the plant of the 
natural size at the 
time of flowering, 
though later in the 
season the leaves 
become somewhat 
larger. The flow¬ 
ers are white,about 
an inclr in diame¬ 
ter, and are borne 
singly on leafless 
stems or scapes. 
The petals are usu¬ 
ally 8, with 8 sta¬ 
mens and a single 
pistil. The pistil 
ripens into a pear- 
shaped pod, which 
splits open at one 
side to liberate the 
seeds, as is shown 
in the detached 
figure at one side 
of the engraving. 
The Twin-leaf con¬ 
siderably resem¬ 
bles the Blood- 
root ( Sanguinaria ), 
and appears in 
flower at about the 
same time. It, 
however, belongs 
to the Barberry 
family, with the 
curious May-apple 
(Podophyllum). It 
is a pleasing plant 
to have in the garden, it comes so early, and 
has such a wild wood air; but it has the dis¬ 
advantage of dropping its petals very early. 
Golden, Domine, Ben Davis, Rawles’ Janet, 
Willow Twig, Bailey’s Sweet, Talman’s Sweet. 
Every one should be liis own judge as to how 
many of each, or what proportion of each he 
wants. This will depend upon circumstances 
Fruit for the North-west-—2d Article. 
BY OUR SPECIAL IOWA CONTRIBUTOR. 
Varieties. —Much failure and disappoint¬ 
ment have their origin in the selection of varie¬ 
ties unsuited to the climate. We should 
have well settled ideas of what varieties we 
want before purchasing; and in no case allow 
the tree vender to persuade us into buying va¬ 
rieties that have not stood the severest test for 
hardiness, of which he may happen to have 
a surplus. Certain varieties will succeed in 
certain localities, while certain other varieties 
will not. It is true that a difference of soil, or 
exposure in the same County often affects differ¬ 
ently the hardiness and productiveness of the 
same varieties; but those in the following list, 
embracing summer, fall, and winter, have been 
so thoroughly tested, and their value so well 
established, that it is safe to recommend them 
for general culture in our State. I therefore 
offer as suited to Iowa the following 
List of Apples. — Summer: Carolina Red 
June, Red June Sweet, Earl}’ Harvest, Benoni, 
Red Astrachan, Dyer. —Autumn : Dutchess of 
Oldenburgh, St. Lawrence, Fall Orange, Lowell, 
Fameuse, or Snow.— Winter: Jonathan, Grimes’ 
the twin-leaf—( Jeffersonia diphylla.) 
which no one so well understands as himself. 
Plan of the Orchard. —After the trees are 
well set, there should be a plan of the orchard. 
This may be drawn on a convenient scale, in a 
blank book, having each tree numbered, and 
the variety named. In this book should also 
be kept a record of every thing of interest per¬ 
taining to the orchard; the management of trees; 
method and time of pruning, with results; 
productiveness and hardiness of varieties, etc. 
Cultivation. —I would not thank one to put 
a plow into my orchard after it has had one 
year’s proper cultivation. My practice is, to culti¬ 
vate the first year as late as the first of August, 
by throwing furrows towards the trees, ridging 
up one way, and the following spring early , 
seed to clover. Leave a circle around each 
tree, eight feet in diameter, and keep it well 
covered, or mulched, with coarse manure, stir¬ 
ring it with a few inches of the surface soil occa¬ 
sionally ; and adding to it after the ground 
freezes every fall. I have found this plan of 
seeding to clover, and keeping the ground loose 
and rich around the tree, far better than tearing- 
up the roots, and bruising the trunks and branch¬ 
es by plowing. A heavy mulching in the fall, 
after the ground has frozen, protects the surface 
roots, and keeps the tree back in the spring, 
when it is often injured by starting too early. 
Recollect , my friend, not to moic and carry of 
that clover! You may turn in small pigs to 
harvest it, and at the same time cultivate around 
