[November, 
412 
AMERICAN AG-RICULTURIST. 
Green-honse Shruls in Common Culture. 
There is one class of house plants that we see 
nauch less frequently than we did many years 
ago_the larger green-house shrubs that are not 
very particular as to their treatment, and which, 
being kept from year to year, become as much 
a part of the household as the furniture. It 
used to be common to see large plants of 
Orange, Lemon, Oleander, Pittosporum, 
Laurestinus, etc., in both city and country 
houses. Our modern modes of heating 
have done away with most of these. They 
will endure rough treatment of almost ev¬ 
ery kind, save drying up. Those who have 
rooms that can be kept about 45°, without 
the dry heat of a coal stove or furnace, can 
do very well with the above named, hnd 
even with Camellias. Summer blooming 
shrubs are easily managed by wintering 
them in the cellar. Among the most satis¬ 
factory shrubs of this kind are the Ole¬ 
ander, Pomegranate and Crape M 3 a‘tle. The 
Oleander, so well known and so easily rais¬ 
ed, is more generally grown than either of 
the others. In St. Louis it is a common 
plant on the market stands. The Pome¬ 
granate is fine, both in foliage and flower, 
and though less common in cultivation than 
the Oleander, is much more frequent^ 
met with than the Crape Myrtle. Any one 
who has visited New Orleans and other 
Southern cities in summer must have no¬ 
ticed the great profusion of this plant in 
the door j^ards and on the verandas. It 
will not stand the winter with us, but it 
may be enjoyed here if given proper pro¬ 
tection during that season. The Ci'ape 
Myrtle, Lagerstrc&mia Indica^ is a native of 
Southern Asia; it is not a Myrtle, as its 
popular name would indicate, but belongs 
. to the Loosestrife Family {LytTiracem.) Its 
foliage is very clean and neat in appearance, 
and Its flowers, which are borne in clus¬ 
ters at the ends of the branches, are of a 
lively rose color, with purple and white 
varieties. The petals are si'x, each on a 
long claw or stalk, with the broad part sin¬ 
gularly crumpled in such a manner as to 
give the flowers an exceedingly beautiful 
appearance. The engraving shows a flowering 
branch of the natural size, but of course lacks 
the color which gives to the plant so lively an 
appearance. In the Southern States it needs no 
protection, but at the North it must be wintered 
in the cellar and somewhat closely pruned. The 
Coral Tree, Erythrina Crista-galli^ is another 
very showy plant that only needs Avinter pro¬ 
tection to make a grand shoAV m the summer. 
The Oleander, Crape Mjntle, Pomegranate, and 
Coral Tree, may be put in the open ground in 
summer, but they particularly commend them¬ 
selves to those city dwellers who haA'^e no 
giounds, as they may be grown in tubs or 
boxes, to decorate the veranda in summer, and 
alloAved to pass their season of rest in the cellar. 
Books and Papers as Premiums. 
We are glad to notice the increase of this 
pleasant and profitable custom. In the arrange¬ 
ment of the horticultural premiums, what could 
be more appropriate than a “ Warder ” for the 
best collection of apples, or the Agriculturist 
for one year for the best show of butter, or 
“Gardening for Profit” for the best collection 
of vegetables? The money secured in success¬ 
ful competition at the fairs is pocketed, and 
soon forgotten. But a live book, treating of 
practical matters, lying upon the shelf or the 
center table, is a perpetual fountain of pleasure. 
The paper that comes Aveekly or monthly, 
freighted with profitable suggestions, is a happy 
reminder of our success, and an incentive to do 
better next year. Much as our farmers need 
money, they need knowledge more. Nothing 
pays so well as the knowledge of the best way 
crape mi’rtIjE. — (Lagerstramia Indica .) 
of doing things. The societies that disseminate 
the most knowledge by means of their exhibi¬ 
tions and their premiums Avill have the most 
zealous supporters, and do most for agricultural 
improvement. In the arrangement of the pre¬ 
mium lists for another year, let us have a liberal 
sprinkling of agricultural books and papers. 
" ' ^ < wiM g i B Wm ii M ^ ^ . . 
A Curious Experiment in Grafting. 
In the Revue Horticole, for Sept., M. Verlot 
gives an account of an experiment in grafting 
that is so novel that we think it Avill interest 
onr readers. Two pear trees on quince roots 
Avere united by inarching, and the roots (quince) 
of one of the trees left exposed to the air. Of 
course, in order to reach the quince roots of the 
tree thus exposed, the sap had to go from the 
other tree and traverse the tissues of the one 
grafted upon it in a reverse direction. This it 
did, and the quince root then put out quince 
shoots three to four inches long. Upon the 
branches of this root, now for a jmar exposed to 
the air, pear grafts have been placed. Two of 
these grafts have succeeded, so that now this 
curious tree consists: 1st, of a quince root; 
2d, a Beurre d’Arenburg pear; 3d, a Beurre de 
Charneu pear that was inarched into No. 2; 
4th, of quince roots; 5th, of pear grafted upon 
these quince roots. Should these last named 
grafts bear fruit true to its kind, it will puzzle 
those who claim that the stock has an influence 
upon the graft, as the sap Avill have passed 
through the tissues of four other trees before 
these grafts were reached, and in two instances 
through inverted tissues. The experiment is 
also interesting in showing that roots may adapt 
themselves to circumstances, and being ex¬ 
posed to the air, become to all intents and 
purposes like branches. We hope that 
M. Verlot will keep watch of this remark¬ 
able tree and let us know more of the re¬ 
sults of one of the most interesting experi¬ 
ments ever made in practical horticulture. 
The American Pomologieal Society. 
The meeting held at St. Louis, in Sep¬ 
tember, was both a success and a failure. 
Socially, it was a success, as it afforded an 
opportunity for long separated pomologists 
to meet and exchange greetings; it afford¬ 
ed eastern men a view of one of the fine 
cities of the West, and gave them a taste 
of western hospilalitjq but beyond these its 
results were meagre. In no spirit of fault 
finding, but with the desire to avoid a sim¬ 
ilarly unsatisfactory result at the next 
meeting, we would make a few suggestions. 
Let there be no exhibition of fruit in con¬ 
nection with the meeting; it serves only 
to distract attention. If any member has a 
new fruit, let him bring it up at the meeting, 
and exhibit specimens at the same time. 
We can see quite as good fruit shows with¬ 
out going so far. Essays, papers, or com¬ 
munications upon particular points in po¬ 
mology, should be referred to a publishing 
committee, and, if acceptable, printed in 
the transactions. An essay, however able, 
is at such times a bore. Let nurserymen 
forget their avocation for once, and be po¬ 
mologists. A good share of the time of 
the last meeting Avas consumed in adver¬ 
tising the small fruits, to such an extent, 
that pears were briefly mentioned, and 
apples, the most important of all fruits, 
omitted altogether. We should not so 
much regret this had the discussion on small 
fruits elicited anjdhing new, but it was the same 
talk that we have heard over and over again, 
and merely went to show that certain fruits did 
well in some places, and not in others. In view 
of the unsatisfactory results of the St. Louis 
meeting we would suggest that in future the 
business be arranged long beforehand, and that 
all branches of pomology be allowed an equal 
share in the deliberations. Two and a half days 
are all too short a time in which to discuss new 
fruits. In future, let us have no more essays, no 
more advertising, and just a little pomology. 
Ricmus Sanguxneus.— The common Palma- 
Christi, or Castor-oil Plant, is an exceedingly 
ornamental object when well grown, but it is 
far eclipsed by the varieties introduced within 
a few years. Bicinus sanguineus, whether a 
garden variety or a species, is a most stately 
and pleasing plant. Its stems arc of a dark red 
color, and its long spikes of flowers and fruit 
of a lighter red, Avhile its leaves haA^e a tropical 
luxuriance that is quite charming. This, as 
Avell as the other varieties, only attains its best 
development in the long seasons of the Middle 
and Southern States, though if started under 
glass, it proves very satisfactory at the North. 
