302 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Sep?, 
timore; but the author adds, “ I have now a few 
hundred plants obtained [by hybridizing] which ex¬ 
hibit in their growth great diversity of character, 
but have not yet bloomed.” 
Within the last year, C. M. Hovey of Boston, 
told me they had 18 double kinds of this rose; and 
W. R. Prince, before his departure for California, 
had spoken to me of 27 double sorts in his nursery. 
Doubtless we shall soon have many others. 
As the native land of this rose is also the land of 
the mounds, it must have grown in ancient times 
amongst a dense and civilized population. Had 
they not a taste for flowers? and did it not enter 
their gardens? Did it spread into double varieties 
(generally the result of high culture)? It was 
then as capable of doing so, as it is at this day. 
Was the period in which that people passed away, 
so remote from the present, that all their varieties 
have had lull time to perish, and their seedlings to 
return to their wild and single state? D. T. 
Greatfield, 7 mo. 2A_ 
Belle Magnifique Cherry. 
We are delighted with this fine large variety. A 
seedling had sprung up in the garden, into which 1 
inserted a bud, and the tree is now six feet high, 
hung with cherries from the highest point where the 
branches are old enough, down to within one foot 
of the ground. It is truly an ornamental plant. 
While our light-colored cherries were decaying 
in abundance on the trees, the Belle Magnifique 
was too small and green to be affected by the wet 
weather; and now (7 mo. 20,) when nearly all our 
other (60) kinds are gone, this comes in as a pre¬ 
lude to the feast of apricots. Though belonging to 
the class of Duke cherries, it loses most of its acid¬ 
ity in ripening, and ranges very high on our list of 
favorites. D. T. 
The Cherry Bird. 
11 For the past three years, I have lost nearly all 
my cherry crop by the cherry or cedar bird—the 
present year I should have had at least fifteen 
bushels of the finest sorts, but have scarcely obtain¬ 
ed six quarts, on account of their ravages.” B. 
Ontario Co ., N. Y. 
Our correspondent is not alone in his disappoint¬ 
ment from the depredations of the cedar bird. A 
near neighbor lost forty bushels by estimate in the 
same way. Two years since, the writer lost a large 
and valuable crop of very early pears, in three hours 
time, by the cedar birds which descended in clouds 
upon them. 
All the rest of the feathered race do not occasion 
a fiftieth part of the damage to this crop, caused by 
the cedar bird alone. We know of but one remedy 
that has proved effectual, out of some eight or ten 
that have been proposed. Cultivators will take 
their choice whether to adopt it or lose their cherries. 
This is to shoot a few of them. It is remarkable 
how soon the remainder become alarmed, and disap¬ 
pear entirely. An old fruit cultivator says that he 
is never troubled with them after the first week, 
where this remedy is applied. The present year 
they commenced in such numbers and with so much 
boldness, that the man who was gathering the crop, 
found it impossible to drive them away, even when 
he had ascended the tree with a ladder. A few 
hours time spent for two or three successive days, 
served completely to disperse them, and for weeks 
afterwards not one was to be seen. In applying 
this remedy, humanity will dictate that the charge 
and the aim be so sure as not to wound without kill¬ 
ing. This is the only species of the feathered race 
against which we should have any controversy—the 
crow, the owl, the hawk, and the blackbird, as well 
as all other birds, we regard as friends, the mischief 
they commit being so small, or the benefit they oc¬ 
casion so great, that we should feel bound to protect 
them. 
Native Flowers. 
Lilium canadense, (common meadow lily,) is re¬ 
markable for two very distinct varieties, besides 
some of inferior note. The first kind I have only 
observed on, or below, the Allegany range of moun¬ 
tains; and this is the variety from which some bot¬ 
anists have drawn their character of the species. 
The flowers are bronze-yellow, segments more at¬ 
tenuate, and but slightly revolute. Dr. Torrey 
calls it the “ Wild yellow Lily.” 
The second kind is indigenous in Western New- 
York, and might properly be termed the Red Mead¬ 
ow Lily. This is probably v. rubrum of the Ency¬ 
clopedia of Plants, and perhaps v. coccincum of- 
Pursh. The flowers more resemble those of Lilium 
superbum , in color, in the purplish dots on the in¬ 
side, in the segments which are very revolute, and 
in number. I once saw twenty-eight growing in a 
pyramid on one stalk, though a third or a fourth of 
this number, without culture, is rather unusual. 
Yet in its leaves and their verticillate arrangement, 
it fully agrees with the former variety. 
The characters of those two species, solely con¬ 
sidered in reference to each other, may be given as 
follows: 
Lilium canadense : Leaves, lanceolate; nerves 
and edges of the leaves, hirsute. 
Lilium superbum: Leaves, linear lanceolate, scat¬ 
tered above; nerves and edges of the leaves smooth. 
Some years ago I introduced the Bronze Meadow 
Lily into my garden; but the soil seemed ungenial, 
as it grew less thriftily than the Red variety; and 
after a fair trial, I set it in the same border of se¬ 
lected earth which agrees so well with the Laurel 
(Kalmia latifolia.) Now, instead of two or three 
flowers on a stem, it has eight, beautifully arranged 
on a strong stalk, not less than five feet high. 
D. T. Greatfield, 7 mo. 15, 1850. 
To winter Bourbon Roses. 
The Editor of the Prairie Farmer announces that 
he has succeeded after several years of trial, in win¬ 
tering with perfect security the Bourbon and other 
equally tender roses,* so that not an inch of twig 
or even of leaf was blackened or injured. It will 
be recollected that they have very sharp weather at 
Chicago, where these experiments were tried. 
The process is this:—“ First, to keep their feet 
dry; this is essential, for in wet soil, they are sure 
to be spoiled. The next thing is a proper covering 
for the tops. The best thing we have ever yet tried 
is tan bark. Indeed, this leaves nothing to desire. 
It is one of the best non-conductors extant, and un¬ 
less soaked in water, will keep sufficiently dry for 
all needed purposes. 
1 1 Let the twigs be bent down in the fall before the 
ground is much frozen, and fastened, and then cover¬ 
ed to the depth of six inches; place on the whole a 
piece of board laid so as to turn off the water, and 
the plant is safe till spring. Care should then bo 
exercised in removing the covering, a part being 
* The Bourbon roses include the Souvenir Malmaison, Princess 
Clementine, Gloire de Rosamene, &c. 
