888 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 18, 1883. 
mania, California, and Oregon. I place New Zealand first of these 
in spite of the vigorously “ blowing ” of the Californian (who, 
by-the-by, is the most blatant “blower" of the most eminently 
blowing citizens of the U.S.A,.). In season and out of season 
does the Californian “ blow," awake and asleep ; each day of the 
week, each week of the month, each month of the year does there 
issue from the Press of California an unfailing stream of literature 
glorifying the “ Grolden State ” and recapitulating its ree-markable 
ree-sources. If you wish to irritate a Californian merely chant 
the praises of Oregon, her neighbour State on the north, where, 
says the Californian scornfully, it rains thirteen months in the 
year. The Oregonian, on the other hand, tells you that if your 
future is uncertain and you wish to become “accli??zated to infernal 
fire, sir,” go to the Mohave Desert in Southern California. 
The truth lies between these extremes. Oregon is a very 
beautiful State, to an English person perhaps more beautiful than 
California, being more like the north of France and Belgium, while 
California resembles rather southern France and Spain. The fact 
is the two together comprise what is best in the whole of the 
United States in respect of genial climate and extraordinary pro¬ 
ductiveness. Why the inhabitants of California should “ blow ” so 
much more than those of Oregon it is not easy to say, for though 
the climate of California is more favourable for delicate persons, it 
is too dry for the encouragement of that perennial verdure which 
is so pleasing to the eyes of English people. While it is an abso¬ 
lute paradise of grass and flowers during the months of March and 
April, it has for the rest of the year a very brown and dried-up 
appearance. Bret Harte describes it as the land of a “ spring 
which obtains but one month of the year ; " consequently, despite 
the not unjustifiable boasting of the Californian, I should say that 
a robust English person would find Oregon a more congenial place 
of settlement, as being more like his own home, just as he would 
prefer New Zealand or Tasmania to Australia, or the neighbour¬ 
hood of Orleans to that of Marseilles. 
But if Oregon rather than California is the land of the Apple, 
the Pear, the berry, and the prunous fruits, she entirely cedes 
place to the latter in respect of wall fruit and in the matter of 
G-rapes, Almonds, Oranges, Lemons and Figs. As the two countries 
lie direct north and south there is a neutral zone about the frontier 
line over which a common climate reigns and in which the same 
fruits can be successfully grown. Thus at Jacksonville in Southern 
Oregon the Grape and the Peach mature well, while in Shasta 
county in Northern California Apples and Pears of very good 
flavour and great size can be produced. As regards the fruits of 
the colder portion of the temperate zone California has indeed 
the advantage, for the Sierras run throughout her length, and upon 
their foot-hills and slopes a Devonshire climate prevails during 
summer in latitudes where the great valleys or plains below lie 
blistering in the heat of Campania or Provence. Similarly along 
the coast for a distance of seven hundred miles run the coast hills 
within reach of the sea breezes, and over this strip there reigns a 
climate of eternal spring. In it are situated those health resorts 
which are fast becoming more popular among persons of delicate 
constitutions in Europe as well as in Northern America. In fact 
California has three zones of climate—the vernal zone of the coast 
hills, the hot zone of the central valleys, and the alpine zone of the 
Sierras. Hence her capacity for fruit-growing is not only great but 
varied, and she makes it a matter of pride that she can grow anything 
from Gooseberries or Blackberries to Bananas. This is true, but 
as might be expected much of these are mediocre in quality, and 
in her especial lines more sober Oregon can surpass her gay, 
boastful, and bounteously endowed sister State.—M. H. 
HARDY FLOWER NOTES.__ 
“A CrOi.DEN spring," such are the words which might well be 
inscribed in illuminated letters on the garden record of the year. 
AVorthily they may be applied, for never has my garden given so ‘ 
much pleasure and such wealth of beauty. Alloy there may be in 
the gold, but there is only sufficient admixture to give piquancy to 
the pleasure, and at no time since the hard winter days passed 
away have we had cause to complain. Even the east winds, less 
prevalent than usual, have had their unwelcome force and fury 
subdued ; and did they for a time muster their forces to assail the 
beauty of the flowers, their fury was of briefest duration, 
dying away in softest breathings and gentlest whispers, as if 
pleading forgiveness for the rude assault. Thus, though com¬ 
paratively little rain has fallen, the earth has not been robbed of 
its moisture, and the flowers have enjoyed to the full the gracious 
season. Thus it is that one is reluctant to move from the precincts 
of the garden to take up pen even in praise of the flowers, feeling 
that at such a time what is written in the house may present the 
mustiness of the herbarium or the flower lover’s library, instead of 
breathing out to some extent at least the freshness and life of the 
flowers themselves. But there are practical inconveniences which 
stand in the way of writing amid the flowers, and we must tear our¬ 
selves away and solace ourselves by sitting where uplifted head will 
disclose some at least of their blossoms. Short as they come of the 
more cultured grace of the English florists’ Tulips so recently spoken 
of, the Dutch varieties show by their beauty that they, too, are of 
patrician race, although their markings are inferior to those of the 
flowers which have been the pride of our insular Tulip lovers. 
Beautiful as they are they lead one to long for some of these 
English kinds, not perhaps to be grown under a canvas tent, but 
to be a crowning pride to the hardy flower garden, where nothing 
is too choice to enter, and where beauty in its highest form should 
find admission. 
Looking, then, at the Tulips of the garden, which have enjoyed 
the unwonted calmness of the season, moving slightly in the gentle 
breezes so markedly in contrast with the usual gales, which here, to 
our dismay, at times snap off the heads of these flowers, we cannot 
but remark upon the superior grace and beauty of the single flowers 
as compared with the double forms. Useful as the latter may be 
for bedding purposes, they are in many ways inferior to the others 
for the garden of hardy flowers where the Tulip is seen at its best 
with the setting of greenery afforded by the springing growth of 
the later herbaceous flowers. Even the commoner early-flowering 
Tulips of self, or almost self colours, give us rich tints of crimson, 
of gold, of blush pink, or of ivory white, and when we come to the 
natural species we have much of interest, apart from their own 
intrinsic beauty. We have spoken of some of these before, and 
may again speak of some in more detail, but a species which has of 
late been more sought after, and which is likely to be increasingly 
admired, deserves at least a passing notice. This is Tulipa vitellina, 
which in ordinary seasons flowers late in May, but which has this 
year been in flower from about the middle of April. It opens of 
a delicate sulphur yellow flushed with green, and passes off to 
almost creamy white. It is about 2 feet in height, and though no 
“fop of the parterre,” is extremely attractive. I believe it is 
a true species, but can find no information about it, as the 
compilers of our ordinary works of reference make no mention of 
the plant. 
Of more lowly stature, yet of choicest heauty on rockwork or 
trailing over the stone edging of some of the borders, are the 
dwarf Phloxes, w'hich form such beautiful mounds of flower as 
to be universally admired. To the ordinary observer they scarcely 
seem Phloxes, so widely are they removed in appearance from 
their autumn flowering congeners which, with equal or greater 
splendour, make our gardens gay. 
The awl-leaved section, as represented by the varieties of Phlox 
setacea or subulata, are much admired with their spiny tufts of 
foliage and profusion of bloom. Is P. setacea synonymous with 
P. subulata ? There seems to have been some difference of opinion 
on this point, but for garden purposes minute distinctions are of 
little consequence, and we may adopt the classification of the 
nurserymen and treat them as practically the same. It is unfor¬ 
tunately true that some of our newer varieties, for some of which 
we are indebted to the late Rev. Mr. Nelson of Aid borough, are 
not so hardy as others, and require protection in some localities. 
This may perhaps be avoided by planting in selected positions, and 
I have generally found that an eastern aspect protected from much 
wet in winter is a preferable one. One of the brightest, which is, 
unhappily, a little tender, is P. s. Yivid, with small flowers, but 
of really “ vivid” crimson colour. Two others which have up till 
now proved a little tender here are P. s. Perfection and P. s. 
pallida. This, however, cannot be said of P. s. atropurpurea, which 
is one of the most useful of all, never failing to grow and flower 
well every season, giving with its pretty crimson purple flowers a 
pleasant aspect to the spot it occupies. Seemingly, too, one of the 
hardiest is P. s. Nelsoni, worthily named in honour of one of our 
lost hcrticulturists, with very beautiful little bushes of white 
flowers. A very beautiful little plant also is P. s. The Bride, 
