9 
THE BUBAL WE¥tf-¥ORK£B 
maybe compared to the arrival of the nap at the 
leaves, it flown in any direction, now dividing to 
the right and to the left, and again oven regur¬ 
gitating and flowing in a backward direction; 
but all these anastomose together, and end by 
emptying into the ocean, which for the sap is 
the atmosphere, into which its watery portion is 
drawn by evaporation from the surface of the 
leaves. 
‘•'It is ten years since Mr. Herbert Spencer's 
paper on circulation and formation of wood in 
plants (Linnsian Society’s Transactions, vol.' 
xxv.) proved to demonstration that the sup 
ascended in the branches, and that while, of 
course, lie could not prove a negative, he, at 
least, showed that in none of IiIh experiments 
could he get the sap to descend : ho moreover 
gave a simple explanation of the deposit of 
wood by the sap oozing through the vessels on 
its way up and depositing woody fiber around 
them. A few years later Prof. W. R. Me Map, 
repeated and extended Mr. Hebbeet Spender's 
experiments, with the same results, and, if my 
memory serves me right (for I have mislaid his 
paper), showed that the sap ascended, both by 
the vessels supposed to he appropriated to its 
ascent and by those appropriated to its descent. 
I have been under the Impression that these ex¬ 
periments, coupled with other well-known facts 
(such as that the hark and wood on the under 
side of a cut on a tree swells, while that on tho 
upper side does not), bAd convinced tho scientific 
world that the notion of the descent of the sap 
was an error. It has never had a particle of 
proof offered in its support. The only thing I 
can recollect that I ever heal'd advanced as such 
was the experiment of tying a ligature round a 
branch, when the branch swells above it instead 
of below. Hut it. is only by a misapprehension I 
of the phenomenon that this can be likened to a 
dam keeping back a descending stream. It is 
tho case of ft stream expanding itself when it j 
finds space after its passago through a narrow 
channel. Any stream, after being released from 
a narrow gully, behaves in this way. 
“ Seeing, then, that on this important physi¬ 
ological question doubt still exists, T have 
thought it might bo desirable to elicit an expres¬ 
sion of opinion from this committee on the sub¬ 
ject. I know how difficult it is to supplant old 
opinions, what an exertion of magnanimity is 
required to acknowledge that wo have been in 
the wrong. I remember, with sympathetic cits- ’ 
tress, the piteous remonstrance of a learned 
Professor at the Congress of Brussels, who, 
when interrupted in liis argument about the de¬ 
scent of the sap, by cries of ‘ Jl n'y a pas de save , 
descendant#, ' exclaimed, ‘There must be a de¬ 
scent of tho sip. I have been teaching it for 
thirty years. What run I to say to my students 
if there is no descent of the snp?‘ But the 
greater the difficulty the more the necessity for 
conquering such feelings and putting the ques- ; 
tion on its light basis. 
“ I am not at all blind to the consequences of 
the view that I lake. I know that if descent of 
the sap goes, the elaboration of the sap by the 
leaves must follow. If it is not to descend, of 
what use to elaborate it in them, uml why elab¬ 
orate by the leaves ruthcr than by the roots or 
any other part? Tho storing - up of material 
will also have to go, both of which are gratui¬ 
tous assumptions without ft particle of proof. 
The nutrition of carnivorous plants wilt become 
still more difficult to crreprehend, mid other 
more remote corrections or received ideas de¬ 
pendent on them must follow. I do not now 
concern myself with these. My present subject 
is tho descent of the sap, and I respectfully sug¬ 
gest to the committee that they could not be 
more, usefully or appropriately employed than in 
giving an authoritative expression of their opin¬ 
ion upon it. I do not ask—and indeed I would 
rather deprecate—a hasty, off-tunubjudgment on 
the spur of the moment, which, in any view, 
could only be regarded as the expression of in¬ 
dividual opinion. What I would like to get is a 
deliberate, well considered opinion, after mutual 
consultation, by tbo most eminent physiologists 
of our body.” 
-»■» »■-- 
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE. 
I Air pleased to see that you speak a good 
word for the unjustly abused Jerusalem Arti¬ 
choke, I have grown it for years, and do not 
know of another crop that gives as large and as 
sure a return for the amount of labor and land 
expended. 
Last spring, when planting potatoes, the soil 
at one end of the field was considered too poor 
for them, and I decided to drop Jerusalem Arti¬ 
chokes in the eight remaining furrows in ex¬ 
actly the same manner as tho potatoes. They 
were plowed and hilled simultaneously with the 
latter, but received no hoeing and required no i 
bug killing. The yield of the Artichokes, cover- : 
ing 3,500 square feet, or about one-twelfth of I : 
an acre, was 20 bushels of line. large tuber.-', ! ( 
while the adjoining 0G rows ot Potatoes, cover- < 
ing 30,000 square feet, yielded but 18 barrels of 
medium-sized Potatoes. Had the entire field i 
been planted with Artichokes, the return, at this 
rate, would have been 185 barrels. 
I have board it recommended to top the stalks, 
so as to prevent their blossoming, agreeably to 
the theory, I presume, that tho sap, which 
i would otherwise be expended in developing tho 
flowers and ripening the seed, would add to tbe 
growth of the tubers. To satisfy myself in re¬ 
gard to the correctness of this theory, I topped 
two rows just at the time when the firs', flowers 
appeared. Those two rows wore dug and meas¬ 
ured separately, and the result was that each of 
tho two rows yielded one-half a bushel less than 
either of the adjoining six rows, which were al¬ 
lowed to develop then- flowers and seeds. 
F. M. Hf.xamkji. 
■■ 4 ■ » ♦- 
THE WHITE FRINGE TREE. 
(Oldonanthus Virginica.) 
In asking attention to a plant so well known 
as the White Fringe, we do not deem it nceossAry 
to make an apology, for the simple reason that 
too much ean hardly he said of an intrinsically: 
valuable tree or shrub. In fact, this neglect of 
| sterling, old r arities, in the rush for novelties, 
has tended of late years to limit, in certain un- J 
profitable ways, the landscape gardener’s list of , 
material. To say that both old and new tilings 
should be judged on their solid merits, is to 
make use of a truism that should need no repeti¬ 
tion. But wise saws apart, the White Fringe has 
just that happy combination of celebrity with 
refined practical qualities that affords most pleas¬ 
ure and satisfaction to the owner. 
Few plants surpass it in easy transplanting, a 
facility that continues until late iu life. All 
ordinary soils scorn to suit it, and we rarely, if 
i ever, hear of its injury by cold. While young, 
its growth is somewhat slow, like most plants of 
permanent value; but eventually the Rizc at- 
j timed would class it with trees, were it not for I 
its rounded, bush-like form. Tho propagation 
is readily accomplished from seed; hut its large, I 
i woody nature will always render it difficult and 
slow to strike from cuttings. By using the 
American or European Ash for stocks, effective 
plants may bo produced much sooner by grafting 
than from seed. The near alliance of natures 
permits this junction; but growing from seed j 
seems to bo the cheaper and preferred method. 
The beauty of the White Fringe is really of a 
very high order, unique, delicate, and refined in 
flower, with a body molded after a robust type, 
that fits it for a commanding position on the 
lawn. The wood assumes a light drab color, and 
is straight and rigorous, with the tough fiber 
that places it almost over the border-line that 
divides shrubs from trees. The leaves have n 
solid, glossy green, that sets off well the pure i 
white of tho bloom. The flower is, of course, 
tbe distinctive and crowning attraction of the 
plant. Singly, tho effect of the blossom is not 
groat; hut seen completely covering tho plant 
with a lace-like cloud, the ctrect is wonderful. 
Tii is expression may appenr too strong; but we 
must remember that to many tliia is an old plant, 
to be so spoken c*f to others, and, therefore, does , 
not come to us with the same halo about it that 
belongs to a recent introduction from Japan or 
Australia. It- great merits entitle it to a prom¬ 
inent and isolated position on tbe lawn, or a 
massing of its particular kind into groups so re¬ 
lated to other groups as to present, the most 
harmonious contrasts. This employment of the 
Chionanthus, and certain other shrubs in the 
form of groups, has been too much overlooked 
by landscape gardeners generally, 
Samuel Bausons. 
-*-«-*■- 
MISCELLANEA. 
A PnoMisiNn Hr.EDi.iNo Pelargonium. —We 
saw a few days since cue of the most cap¬ 
tivating variegated Pelargoniums that we have 
ever laid eyes upon. It is a chance seedling and 
is thought by its raiser to be, ns, indeed, its ap¬ 
pearance strongly indicates, a cross between a 
‘ ‘ Bronze ” and n ‘ ‘ Tricolor.” The markings are 
similar to those of the latter, but the colors are all 
subdued and of a deep, bronze mellow cast. If 
this will stand ihe sun as well as the Bronzes do, 
it must prove exceedingly valuable, since the 
great objection to Tricolors is that they are 
worthless for bedding purposes. 
We have tho Golden Variegated (Tricolor) 
Pelargoniums, like Mrs. Pollock; tho White 
Edged, like Mountain of Snow; the Silver Varie¬ 
gated, like United Italy ; the Golden Bronze, like 
MaeMalion: the Golden Selfs that, without,zones 
aro of a uniform yellowish-green color;—the 
Golden Edged, like Golden Vase, and lately the 
remarkable Pelargonium “ Happy Thought” with 1 
a white disc and green edge. i i 
Tlie seedling to which we refer is as distinct as i 
any of the above, and being possessed of a seem- < 
iugly vigorous constitution must prove, for 1 
house or greenhouse decoration at least, ns 1 
attractive as any of them. To say that it is “ a i 
darkly shaded Bronze-Tricolor ’’ seems to us to 1 
convey tho best idea of this plant- i 
We are not permitted to give the name of the 
owner at present—hut we hope lie may meet J c 
with such success in its propagation that it will 
be offered for sale by next fall. 
Standard Flowers. —There" are many plants 
used for bedding purposes having naturally a 
trailing or spreading habit, that may be trained 
into standard forms of considerable beauty. The 
Lantaim is not much thought of whon loft to grow 
naturally- but as a little tree four or five feet in 
bight and placid among shrubs out-of-doors, it 
is sure to attract attention. The head by prun- 
' ing and pinching may ho shaped ns one chooses. 
I Tho main stem soon becomes quite hard and 
thick and, with the aid of a slight stake to which 
it should be securely tied, w ill support a surpris¬ 
ingly largo head that blooms without intermis¬ 
sion, It will stand any amount of cutting back 
and is easily replaced in pots for winter decora¬ 
tion. 
Achyranthes Gilsoni Is another plant that, as 
, we have before remarked, is suitable for this 
purpose. It grow s rapidly and a main stem four 
feet or more in bight may be formed the second 
year. The smaller branches composing the head, 
! however, are not woody enough to support their 
own w eight and that of the foliage, so that rings 
( of wire or hoops must he used. 
[ The fragrant Heliotrope, beautiful as it is at 
■ all limes, forms a fine standard that is no less 
florif crons than in its decumbent f oim. We may 
enjoy its fragrance without stooping to smell or 
to pluck the flowers. 
Tho plain Zonalo Pelargoniums are sometimes 
trained as standards. If planted permanently in 
greenhouses they will grow to an immense size 
in several years. We have seen them measuring 
ten feet in height and six inches in circumfer¬ 
ence at the base. Many hardy shrubs, such as 
Wiegelas, Deutzias, Privets Lilacs, Honey¬ 
suckles, Wistarias may be worked up in this j 
manner—and we have been trying the experi- j 
raent with the climbing Bitter-sweet, Celaslms j 
scandens. 
Table Bouquets.— We have seen bouquets for 
the table arranged in tho following manner: It 
is very easy to arrange them and they have not 
the stiff, bonqnet look so often seen iu collec¬ 
tions of flowers for this purpose. Any plate of 
any size may housed as desired. This is covered 
with Moss, Ferns, sprigs of any kind of Vines, J 
Red urns. Ivy and the like, interspersed with Vio¬ 
lets, or whatever of the smaller flowers happen 
to be in bloom at tho time. These are wet suffi- j 
ciently, and in the center of the plate is placed a 
goblet. The bottom is concealed beneath the 
Moss or Ferns, and iu tho top flowers of the sea¬ 
son are placed loosely and na,family, largely in- j 
termingled with Hmilax, Cypress or other slen¬ 
der, graceful Vines that flow over concealing the 
siiles of the goblet and meeting Hie Ferns, Moss, 
etc., upon tho plate. If the most skillful part of 
art is to conceal it, a bouquet of this kind in no 
less artistic than pleasing, since, with plate and 
gobiet both hidden, tho flowers and leaves have 
quite the appearance of growing out of (he little 
plot of Mosses and Fern. 1 : beneath. 
OUR SHftUB AND TRIE ELECTION. 
‘ ‘Chester ” in the Agricultural department of 
tho N. V. Tribune says: The editors of the 
Run a r. New Yorker propose to the American 
horticulturist a novel scheme for ascertaining 
the popular choice of available ornamental trees 
nnd shrills. In other words, it will he their 
desire to record the finest hardy species and 
varieties, according to the individual preferences 
of those who have made the subject one of spe¬ 
cial study iu various parts of the country. After 
the reports arc all in, there will, I suppose, be a 
general summing up, and the remit of the elec¬ 
tion published. As a matter of curiosity this 
will doubtless prove interesting, as showing what 
kinds generally succeed under all vicissitudes of 
climate; hut us a rule for governing the tree- 
planter in any section of country, it may prove 
mischievous iu its tendency. Some of the most 
beautiful trees in the Southern section of the 
Middle States will not survive the Winter in the 
Northern section: others, again, that prefer the 
cooler climate'of the North, refuse to thrive iu 
w aimer localities. Soil, humidity, insects local 
in their habits, as well as loeal diseases caused 
by any or all of them, wield a powerful influence 
with the well-informed cultivator in mailing a 
selection of trees and shrubs suited to bis own 
home. Still the list will prove interesting.” 
“ Chester” overlooks an important, specifica¬ 
tion iu tho objects of this election. It is that 
tho shrubs and trees chosen by those who send 
hi lists nuiot be hardy in the climate of New 
York. Wo are aware that there are plants that 
thrive in this or a similar climate that do not 
thrive in warmer climates for tho reasons which 
ho gives. With the latter ihe election has noth¬ 
ing to do. Neither can it “prove interesting 
as showing what kinds generally succeed under 
ad vicissitudes of climate.” since it has notliing 
to do with any other vicissitudes than those of 
this climate. That, however, tbe results will 
prove of general benefit to tbosalivingin Illinois, 
Kentucky, Wisconsin, as well ns to those living 
in Iowa a ud New York, we see no reason to doubt. 
Except that it may interest all who love horti¬ 
culture, il was especially intended for people who 
are inexperienced therein. How such a carefully- 
selected list ean prove more “mischievous” to 
the beginner than that ho should select-his trees 
and shrubs at random, it is difficult to see. Will 
“ Chester" farther explain? 
■-*-*-*-- 
NOTES. 
. 
Extracts from Correspondents’ Letters.— 
“We have just received the numbers of tlio 
Rural for our renewed subscription for the pres¬ 
ent year. We would he unwilling to do without 
it. Surely it has taken a now impulse, and is 
more interesting than ever. You will recollect 
sending aoino Bortulaca seeds, ' very double, 1 
last season. I planted one-half of them with 
great care. They were very handsome, hut 
very few were double. The remainder I hope to 
plant, with still more care, the present year.”— A 
Constant Reader. 
Wo do not think additional care in planting will 
make them more double, though difference in soil 
may have some influence. The seeds were saved 
from a fine double strain, and in our own 
grounds have produced an unusually largo per¬ 
centage of double flowers. 
“ I have never seen anything about Washing¬ 
ton Territory in your paper. There is quite a 
number of largo streams hero in Walla Walla 
Valley, besides numerous small ones. They aro 
bordered with Cottonwood, Birch, Alder, and 
several kinds of Willow. J wish you could have 
seen our grape arbor when the vines were full 
of grapes. The grapes were splendid—large and 
luscious. This climate is well adapted to the 
culture of grapes. They grow as well here ns In 
California.”— Mrs. M. A. IL. Waitsburg, ItosA. 
I r 7; 
“ I have studied the action of insects upon 
< plants too much not to see design or their mutual 
adaptation to each other. Very likely this sub¬ 
ject has been carried to an extreme in some 
eases; but generally, I believe Darwin. Muhler, 
and others are correct. ... I nm beginning 
a wild garden on a hank and bog and small pond. 
The subject is one of great interest.”—B. 
Victoria Regia. —An interesting case men¬ 
tioned by tho London Gardeners' Chronicle 1* 
that Victoria Regia is said to have yielded only 
25 seeds when naturally self-fertilized; GO when 
artificially self-fertilized: 100 when by pollen 
from a different, flower on tho same plant; nnd 
as many as 300 seeds when intercrossed with 
pollen from a separate plant. 
Some of Mr. Darwin’-, experiments, as re¬ 
corded in his late work (“Cross and Sel(-Fertil¬ 
ization of Plants”), strongly corroborate the 
custom of seed-growers and propagators, of in¬ 
troducing fresh seed from distant localities. 
“How Flowers are Fertilizer.” — Prof. 
Ghat, in the February American Agriculturist, 
in a series of articles under the above heading, 
says: “Moreover, tho cases in which flowers 
must needs he cross-fertilized, shade off into 
those iu which they merely may cross now and 
then, and are matched by another kind of case, 
in which they must self-fertilize. If. on the 
other hand, many blossoms are as plainly adapt¬ 
ed for cross-fertilization, ‘as tho teeth and talons 
of a carnivorous animal aro adapted for catching 
prey,’ wo must admit that there are others in 
which self-fertilization is just us clearly aimed 
at." 
“ Lady Albemarle.”— This Godetia, to which 
we have several times referred among novelties, 
is said by the Gardeners’ Chronicle of London to 
be exceptionally flue, both in its magenta color 
and its stocky, iloriforouS habit. 
Red, White, and Blue.— We have now of 
Hydrangea hortiHiis the three colors—rose, 
white, and blue. Rose being but a pale shade of 
red, wo may “color" it a little for effect and 
call it red. But the rose and blue are inter¬ 
changeable, according to soil. “Thomas Hogg” 
is white. Is he interchangeable, or is he white 
on all occasions nnd iu all places ? Or does iron 
make him blue ? 
These three Hydrangeas, planted together and 
blooming at the same time, without collusion, 
with their great halls of flowers, would look 
showy, and might serve to inspire a deeper feel¬ 
ing for our national colors—that is. if “ Thomas 
Hogg ” never gets blue, and one’s patriotism 
were strong enough to ace the rose and go one 
or two better. Auy of our politicians could do 
it easily enough, even though the colors were 
white and black, instead of rose and red; and 
floriculturists have patriotism as well as politi¬ 
cians. 
Florida Moss.—This is now offered by most 
of our seedsmen for “decorative purposes.” 
Three dollars per barrel is the price. We hope 
we may be excused for asking, What decorative 
purposes are meant ? 
The Original Baldwin.—W e are told by the 
American Cultivator that “ the original tree, 
found in the woods, is still standing on the Bald¬ 
win farm, at Woburn, Mass.” It ought to he 
tenderly cared for and loaded with honors. It 
has lived to see the great good it has done, and 
