December 17, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
525 
Dr. David Moore of Dublin, Ireland, as one of the parents in hybridising 
the various species of Sarracenia, of which numerous curious and in¬ 
teresting examples have been produced. The exact use of these pitchers 
of water in the economy of the plants has long been a subject of 
speculation, and one by no means satisfactorily settled. Philip Miller 
in the “ Gardener’s Dictionary,” issued in 1758, saw no further use than 
as a provision to aid, and not as a lure to living creatures. He says 
“The English who first settled in North America gave to this plant the 
title of Side-saddle Flower, from the resemblance of the stigma to a 
woman’s pillion ; and some of the first writers who described the 
country have given imperfect accounts of this plant. They have taken 
particular notice of the leaves always having water in them ; and one 
of them mentions his being often refreshed with this water in great 
droughts, when he was at a distance from any other supply.” Of the 
lid at the top of the pitcher he says : “ This top or ear is supposed in 
hot, dry weather to shrink and fall over the mouih of the tube, and 
serve as a lid to prevent the exhalation of the water ; so that in the 
greatest droughts birds and other animals repair to these plants, where 
they always find water to refresh them.” 
The plant is often called “ The Huntsman’s Cup,” and it is quite 
likely Miller’s account is made up in imagination from the name. He 
was evidently under the impression that the cups were filled by rains, 
and that therefore the lids were to prevent evaporation, whereas it is 
now known that the pitchers are filled through the roots, and that the 
process goes on in dry as well as wet weather. Moreover, the plant 
never grows in dry ground or away from water in the dryest time, so 
that living creatures could get all the water they needed without re¬ 
sorting to these. As to the Huntsman, who in a dry time was 
“ refreshed,” if he had attempted it, he would have seen that in the 
water were numbers of dead insects, and he would have been anything 
but refreshed by the draught. It seems to have been the custom with 
many writers in the past times to give their impressions for the facts, 
and is in striking contrast with the strict fidelity to facts demanded 
in the modern writer. 
As already noted, insects, as well as water, are generally, and as far 
as the writer of this knows, always found in the pitchers ; and modern 
investigatois believe that their capture is the chief design of this 
wonderful structure, and that after capturing, the dissolved elements of 
the insects are used as food. In New Jersey, from whence the plant 
used in illustration was taken, the writer has never examined the 
leaves without finding living larvae which, as well as the living plant 
were evidently feeding on the dead material, and in plants on tussocks 
of wet sphagnum moss, so surrounded by water that only winged insects 
could get there of themselves, others which could not have crossed the 
water of their own volition have been found in the pitchers. Sir James 
E. Smith has recorded that a gardener in the Liverpool Botanic Garden 
had seen larger insects, probably Ichneumons, carrying others into the 
pitchers, and he infers that most of the insects are thus placed there as 
food for its own larvae. 
Besides the common names already noted, Professor Douglass of 
West Point, who accompanied the Cass expedition to the Great Lakes in 
the summer of 1820, notes in the fourth vol. of Silliman’s Journal, that 
he found the plant about the upper waters of the Mississippi, especially 
at Point Keewenah on Lake Superior, and that it was known to the 
Indians as “ Owl’s Mocasin ”—in their language, “ Ko-Ko-Mokasin.” 
Sarracenia purpurea is the most northern of all the species, and 
grows over a greater extent of territory than any native species. It is 
found in Newfoundland and Hudson’s Bay, and extends west to the 
Mississippi River, beyond which it has not been seen. Southwardly it 
reaches Florida. Generally preferring low lands, it is not, however, 
unusual to find it in swamps at high elevations. Pursh found it on the 
Pocono Mountain, as he records in his diary, and a correspondent of the 
second volume of the “ Entomologist and Botanist,” notes it in Northern 
Wisconsin, and the curious fact that wherever found it is always in the sub- 
carboniferous formation, as if that were the period when it was first created. 
It is generally uniform in its character, but varies in colour with the season. 
In early spring it is quite green, in the autumn dull brown. Our artist 
has taken it ju9t as it is passing from the green to the brown. The 
flowers are generally always of a brown-purple ; but sometimes these are 
produced as green as the leaves, and with some leaf variation in con¬ 
nection, and have suggested to some authors to make of the form a 
distinct variety as Sarracenia purpurea heterophylla. Mr. E. S. Miller 
once found a plant at Hampton, New York, with the flowers double.— 
( Meehan's Monthly, Philadelphia'). 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning Currants. —Proceed with this as fast as possible when¬ 
ever the weather is suitable. All kinds of fruit trees should be attended 
to in rotation. In places where Gooseberry bushes are apt to be 
denuded of their buds by birds they are sometimes left unpruned until 
late in the season, while others prune them early and protect them ; the 
latter is probably the best plan to follow in the majority of cases. All 
fruit bushes should be kept open in the centre, so that sun and air can 
reach both sides of the shoots. 
Red and White Currants. —These fruits bear freely from small 
spurs on the old branches; the young shoots may, therefore, be cut back 
closely to two or three buds, unless the leading shoots are required for 
further extension of the tree or to fill up vacant spaces, in which case 
they should be left about a foot in length. Clear all suckers away 
cleanly from the roots, and if any of the main stems are becoming weak 
from old age cut them back and bring young ones up in their pLce. 
These fruits do well grown as standards, and are easily trained on that 
system by pruning the young trees to a straight stem until they are 
3 feet high, and then forming a head as in ordinary bushes. Trees on 
this system are much handier for gathering, for cultivation, and for 
netting for late use. 
Black Currants. —The finest fruit is borne on the young wood ; 
the pruner should, therefore, endeavour to keep a continual supply of 
young wood in the trees by removing the old wood every year as much 
as possible, and bringing young shoots on in its place. Sometimes it is 
necessary to cut the bushes right down to the ground when they get 
old and do not produce young shoots freely. This causes th: loss of a 
year’s crop, but the trees throw up some fine growths if encouraged with 
a little manure, and the fruit is much larger afterwards. In pruning 
these do not take the points off the shoots, as is done with Red Currants, 
unless the trees are getting too tall, but thin out the wood so that all of 
it gets plenty of air. 
Gooseberries. —Trees of this fruit bear from spurs on the old 
wood, and also from the young shoots ; and as the latter bear the finest 
fruit, some of them which are of moderate strength should be left at 
intervals on the main branches, merely shortening them to about G or 
8 inches, but none should be left for this purpose which are thicker than 
wheat straws, as they will only produce more wood instead of fruit. 
Pull all young suckers clean out by the root and the strong growths in 
the centre of the bushes if this was not done in the summer, which is 
the best time for it. Gooseberries are very apt to throw up strong shoots 
from the roots, and for this reason are best, grown on a single stem to 
about 1 foot in height. The shoots of some kinds grow almost upright, 
while others form a curve, which gradually bends to the soil again. 
The latter kinds require to be constantly shortened back in the leading 
branches to a young shoot on the upper side, so as to keep the ends from 
getting too near the ground. All of them should be more than a foot 
from the surface when pruning is finished, or the weight of the fruit next 
season will soon bring them down farther ; the fruit then gets spattered 
with dirt when heavy rains come, and is afterwards useless. In pruning 
the leading shoots of bushes with a drooping habit always cut to a bud 
that is on the upper side, as this will grow upwards for a time when it 
starts, and assist in keeping the branches away from the surface. 
Propagating Bush Fruits. —Now is the time to select cuttings 
of the various kinds as required, choosing the straightest and strongest 
shoots, and laying them in by the heel in a convenient place, to be 
prepared for planting in bad weather, when it is impossible to get on 
with outside work ; they may then be taken into the bufldings and cut 
into the proper form. Gooseberries and Red and White Currants should 
be not less than 1 foot in length ; after taking out the terminal bud all 
the lowest buds should be removed, leaving only four at the top ; they 
will then form bushes on short clean stems, and not throw up suckers. 
If standard bushes are required take off all buds except the terminal 
and the one nearest to it. These trees take longer to form than dwarfs 
do, but are preferred to them for some purposes. Black Currants need 
not have any buds removed, as they require a constant supply of young 
wood from the base, and suckers are therefore to be encouraged. The 
cuttings should not be left out of the soil longer than is absolutely 
necessary. When made they must either be temporarily heeled-in again 
or inserted into the nursery beds ; there they may be planted in rows 
1 foot apart and 6 inches apart in the row, pushing them well down to a 
depth of 4 inches, and treading them in firmly. Omit every seventh 
row, which will give beds 5 feet wide, with 2 feet alleys between them. 
These are convenient for cleaning and attending to the plants. 
Protection from Birds. —Bullfinches, tits, and sparrows often 
make sad havoc with the buds of Gooseberry bushes in severe weather, 
and if any danger is apprehended from this source some white knitting 
cotton should be strained over the trees by winding it round the tips of 
some of the tallest branches, and crossing it about in various ways. 
This cannot be done, of course, until all planting, pruning, and digging 
is completed. 
Figs.—Protection from Frost. —North of London Figs cannot 
be depended on as to hardiness, especially as far as the next year’s crop 
is concerned. The young Figs may now be seen as small buds at the 
joints near the extremities of the shoots. These are the most tender 
parts of the tree, and are sometimes damaged by frost enough to spoil 
the crops without killing much of the wood ; but in winters like the 
last one we had the old also is likely to be killed. There are many 
ways in which they can be protected. One of the easiest and best is 
to loosen all the branches from the walls, tie them in bundles, ard 
then thatch them with straw, beginning at the lower end, and tying 
each layer on with string securing the bundle to the wall again when 
finished. All young Figs which are as large as marbles should bo 
rubbed off before tying the shoots together, as they are useless. In 
mild winters it is possible for a few of them to survive and come to 
WOKK/or.the WEEK. 
HIM 
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