VOL. XLIX. NO. 2126 . NEW YORK, OCTOBER 25, i89o. 
PRICE, FIVE CENT! | 
$ 2.00 PER YEAR. 
THE PARAGON CHESTNUT. 
UR readers will pardon The R. N.-Y. for congratu¬ 
lating itself that it ha3 been largely instrumental 
in precipitating an appreciation of so-called Japan 
Chestnuts in general, and of their improved varieties in par¬ 
ticular, among them the Paragon, which we believe marks 
an advance in chestnut culture quite unparalleled. The 
conspicuous objections to the Japan and 
Spanish Chestnuts are their coarse flesh and 
astringent skin, properties which render 
them somewhat unpalatable when eaten 
raw. The skin of the Paragon is about the 
same as that of the American Chestnut, 
while the flesh is about as sweet and tender 
as that of our largest varieties. The fact 
is very apparent, therefore, that if the tree 
should prove as hardy and productive as 
American kinds, the Paragon is destined 
to revolutionize chestnut culture, since it 
has the advantage of size, while the trees 
come into bearing while very young. 
The drawing, from a photograph, shown 
at Fig. 315, is that of a Paragon sent to the 
Rural Grounds in the spring of 1SS8, by H. 
M. Engle & Son, of Marietta, Pennsylvania. 
It blossomed last year, but the blossoms 
were purposely destroyed. The hight will 
be guessed at approximately when it is said 
that the man beside it is a fraction over 
five feet nine inches tall. The cion and 
stock did not make a complete union. 
Grafting wax was used to cover the imper¬ 
fect portion. Whether the union will be¬ 
come more or less perfect with years re¬ 
mains to be seen. The stock was grafted 
just where the man clasps the tree with his 
hand. Another specimen of about the 
same size was received the next spring, in 
18S9. In this specimen the union is nearly 
perfect and the tree has made a healthy 
growth. There were, during the past season, 
several male, though no female blossoms. 
The tree illustrated bore eight burrs, two 
of which were cut oil, as it was feared the 
top could not sustain the weight of all to 
maturity. The others ripened after the 
first light frosts, with the mass of American 
Chestnuts in the woods and fields about. 
The burrs averaged four inches in diameter 
and each one held two abortive and one 
perfect chestnut, averaging l)^-iuch in the 
widest diameter. The following letter from 
Mr. Engle, is in reply to our questions : 
“ Mr. Meehan (I think), says the Paragon 
is from Spanish seed; but whatever may 
be its origin, it can stand upon its merits. 
Its size aud quality are uot criticised. It is 
precocious aud prolific almost to a fault 
and as vigorous a grower as any I know of, 
but its hardiness has not as yet been fully 
established. Hitherto, however, we have 
received no reports that any of the numer¬ 
ous trees we have sent out have been winter- 
killed. On the contrary, we have received 
reports that it has survived 12 to 15 degrees 
Fah. belowzero. We have opened a new field 
in chestnut culture, in which the public 
should look out for a boom. Last spring we 
grafted about six acres of chestnut sprouts 
with the Paragon, and several acres more 
will be grafted next spring, and if these 
are successful we shall invest in the busi¬ 
ness more extensively. Our first experi¬ 
ment was with about two acres, in another 
county, grafted four years ago for another party on lease. 
From these trees we received last fall (the third season) half 
a bushel of nuts—one-third of the crop, which would have 
been larger had not the 17-year-locusts badly injured the 
trees. We would be very much pleased if the editor of 
The Rural could see our trees (about a dozen) at home, 
planted from two to fourteen years. From one I have 
picked over 1,200 burrs and it is too full yet.” 
On the 10th of this month several chestnuts of the so- 
called “ Numbo ” variety, were received at this office. 
They were about the size of those borne by the Paragon, 
an l nearly as good in quality. We have assumed that the 
name “ Numbo ” stands more for Japan chestnuts in gen¬ 
eral than for any fixed variety, as we know of more than 
one nurseryman who calls the Japan seedlings which he 
raises, by that name. The nuts were sent by Samuel C. 
Moon, of Morrisville, Bucks County, Pa. This being the 
case, our readers, were they to order the “ Numbo ” from 
several nurseries, would be liable to receive as many dif¬ 
ferent kinds under that name. The question whether the 
Paragon is of American, or so-called Spanish, or Japan 
origin is an open one. We have seedlings of the Japan, 
and the foliage and stems resemble those of the Paragon, 
while the differences between the Japan and Spanish trees 
are quite marked, as the writer has observed them. 
It now remains for enterprising nut growers to make a 
collection of the best varieties of the three species (so- 
called) and to cross them. In this way we may ultimately 
obtain nuts as large as the largest Japans, and as sweet 
and tender as the best Americans. Improved chestnut 
culture is in its infancy. The Paragon is but the first 
step towards an Excelsior. We respectfully call the atten¬ 
tion of tha station horticulturist to this subject. 
THE ANNUAL POINSETTIA. 
(Euphorbia heterophylla.) 
This is a leafy, branchy, bushy annual euphorbia, which, 
within the last two years, has become quite prominent as 
a horticultural novelty. It is a native of the Southern 
States from Florida to Texas, and into Mexico, and is in¬ 
cluded in Chapman’s “Flora of the Southern States,’* 
under the name of Euphorbia cyathophora. 
It grows about two feet high, more or less 
according to cultivation, and is. freely fur¬ 
nished with green, fiddle-shaped leaves, 
three to six inches long. In cultivation in 
the Northern States it displays no marked 
ornamental characters till about the end of 
July or August, when it comes into bloom; 
then like most other euphorbias, its true 
flowers are inconspicuous enough, but the 
uppermost leaves—those immediately sur¬ 
rounding the flowers—have a deep red 
blotch at their base. In the true poinsettia 
(Euphorbia pulcherrima) the “ floral ” 
leaves are large and altogether red, but in 
the “annual poinsettia” they are much 
smaller in size and only partly colored with 
red. Nevertheless, when it is in good con¬ 
dition, between August and October, it is 
an interesting, distinct and ornamental 
plant. 
It ripens seeds abundantly in the South; 
in moderate quantity in the North, and it 
is easily raised from seed, and of the easiest 
cultivation. 
In Florida where it can be found in con¬ 
siderable quantities in the vicinity of old 
dwellings, it is known as Hypocrite Plant; 
in Northern Mexico where it runs wild, as 
Fire-on-the-Mountain, and in the Northern 
States we call it Painted Leaf and Annual 
Poinsettia, I, myself being sponsor for the 
last name. However, if we should, as per¬ 
haps we ought, give priority to precedence, 
then its accepted English name would 
stand as Hypocrite Plant. Years ago I 
used to grow this euphorbia as a “ botani¬ 
cal” plant, but it never got introduced into 
prominent garden society till two years 
ago, when Mr. John Lewis Childs, of Floral 
Park, N. Y., and Mr. L. W. Goodell, of 
Dwight, Mass., got hold of it. Mr. Childs 
had it from Florida, Mr. Goodell from 
Texas, and then it was sent out a year 
ahead of time; by this I mean before the 
introducers had nearly seed enough of it to 
justify them in sending it out, but in busi¬ 
ness competition we cannot afford to “ get 
left,” even at a sacrifice. 
A few months ago a kind friend from 
the South sent me a spray of a decidedly 
variegated leaved form of it; the variega¬ 
tion consisted of yellow and white mark¬ 
ings or blotches all over all of the leaves, 
and this coloration was present from the 
birth of the plant up, and the plant, I am 
informed, is growing and seeding as freely 
as are the typical green-leaved ones. Now, 
if the seedlings from this variegated plant 
also come variegated, we shall have in them 
one of the best aad most desirable novel¬ 
ties in the way ot ornamental-leaved 
annuals ever introduced. True, we can 
perpetuate the stock from cuttings, but 
this is an unsatisfactory and slow method, 
and also uncertain, and, commercially, 
it would not pay. william falconer. 
Queens County, N. Y. 
Remarks by The Rural New-Yorker.— Seeds of this 
poinsettia were received from Peter Henderson & Co. in 
February and sown in pots. They germinate freely and 
the plants grow with rapidity when set in the garden, 
attaining a hight of three feet by August, when the 
leaves under the little flowers become blotched with bright 
red. If the plants are not pinched back somewhat in early 
growth, they need a slight support by August or they are 
liable to be blown over. Our illustration from nature 
(see Figure 316, page 722) shows the flowers and subtending 
colored leaves. There is little doubt that Mr. Falconer’s 
prediction as to its popularity will be realized. 
PARAGON CHESTNUT. From a Photograph. Fig. 315. 
